Innovations at the Nexus of Food, Energy and WaterSystems (INFEWS)

PROGRAM SOLICITATION NSF 17-530

REPLACES DOCUMENT(S):NSF 16-524

National Science Foundation

Directorate for Geosciences

Directorate for Engineering

Directorate for Computer & Information Science & Engineering

Directorate for Mathematical & Physical Sciences

Directorate for Social, Behavioral & Economic Sciences

Office of International Science and Engineering

Office of Integrative Activities

National Institute of Food and Agriculture

Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.m. submitter's local time):

March 06, 2017

IMPORTANT INFORMATION AND REVISION NOTES

Track 4 (Education and workforce development project) has been removed. PIs are redirected to the National Science FoundationResearch Traineeship Program (16-503).

Provisions for international collaborations. Detailed instructions are provided in the solicitation.

The program description has been slightly revised, principally for clarity.

Any proposal submitted in response to this solicitation should be submitted in accordance with the revised NSF Proposal & AwardPolicies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) (NSF 17-1), which is effective for proposals submitted, or due, on or after January 30, 2017.

SUMMARY OF PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

General Information

Program Title:

Innovations at the Nexus of Food, Energy and Water Systems (INFEWS)

Synopsis of Program:

Humanity is reliant upon the physical resources and natural systems of the Earth for the provision of food, energy,and water. It is becoming imperative that we determine how society can best integrate across the natural and builtenvironments to provide for a growing demand for food, water and energy while maintaining appropriateecosystem services. Factors contributing to stresses in the food and energy and water (FEW) systems includeincreasing regional and social pressures and governance issues as result of land use change, climate variability,and heterogeneous resource distribution. Interconnections and interdependencies associated with the FEW nexuscreate research grand challenges for understanding how the complex, coupled processes of society and theenvironment function now, and in the future. To meet these grand challenges, there is a critical need for researchthat enables new means of adapting to future challenges. The FEW systems must be conceptualized broadly,incorporating physical processes (such as built infrastructure and new technologies for more efficient resourceutilization), natural processes (such as biogeochemical and hydrologic cycles), biological processes (such asagroecosystem structure and productivity), social/behavioral processes (such as decision making and governance),and cyber-components (such as sensing, networking, computation and visualization for decision-making andassessment). Investigations of these complex systems may produce discoveries that cannot emerge from research

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This solicitation has been archived and replaced by NSF 18-545.

on food or energy or water systems alone. It is the synergy among these components in the context ofsustainability that will open innovative science and engineering pathways to produce new knowledge, noveltechnologies and predictive capabilities to solve the challenges of scarcity and variability.

The overarching goal of INFEWS is to catalyze well-integrated interdisciplinary and convergent research totransform scientific understanding of the FEW nexus (integrating all three components rather than addressing themseparately), in order to improve system function and management, address system stress, increase resilience, andensure sustainability. The NSF INFEWS initiative is designed specifically to attain the following goals:

1. Significantly advance our understanding of the food-energy-water system through quantitative, predictiveand computational modeling, including support for relevant cyberinfrastructure;

2. Develop real-time, cyber-enabled interfaces that improve understanding of the behavior of FEW systemsand increase decision support capability;

3. Enable research that will lead to innovative solutions to critical FEW systems problems; and4. Grow the scientific workforce capable of studying and managing the FEW system, through education and

other professional development opportunities.

This initiative enables interagency cooperation on one of the most pressing problems of the millennium -understanding interactions across the FEW nexus - how it is likely to affect our world, and how we can proactivelyplan for its consequences. It allows the partner agencies - National Science Foundation (NSF) and the UnitedStates Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA/NIFA) and others - to combineresources to identify and fund the most meritorious and highest-impact projects that support their respectivemissions, while eliminating duplication of effort and fostering collaboration between agencies and the investigatorsthey support.

In addition, NSF and USDA/NIFA are interested in promoting international cooperation that links scientists andengineers from a range of disciplines and organizations to solve the significant global challenges at the nexus ofFEW systems. Proposals including international collaboration are encouraged when those efforts enhance the meritof the proposed work by incorporating unique resources, expertise, facilities or sites of international partners. TheU.S. team’s international counterparts generally should have support or obtain funding through non-NSF sources.To facilitate coordinating research activities between US and international partners, specific collaborative fundingopportunities have been developed involving some international partners. These opportunities are listed at[https://www.nsf.gov/od/oise/INFEWS/the_international_partnerships.jsp] and are described in more detail below.

All questions regarding proposal submissions should be directed to INFEWSquestions@NSF.GOV or the programofficers listed below.

Cognizant Program Officer(s):

Please note that the following information is current at the time of publishing. See program website for any updates to the points ofcontact.

Thomas Torgersen, Co-Chair, Directorate for Geosciences, telephone: 703-292-4738, email: ttorgers@nsf.gov

David Corman, Directorate for Computer & Information Science & Engineering, telephone: 703-292-8754, email:dcorman@nsf.gov

Robert O'Connor, Directorate for Social, Behavioral & Economic Sciences, telephone: 703-292-7263, email:roconnor@nsf.gov

James W. Jones, Directorate for Engineering, telephone: (703) 292-4458, email: jwjones@nsf.gov

Anne-Marie Schmoltner, Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences, telephone: (703) 292-4716, email:aschmolt@nsf.gov

Lara Campbell, Office of International Science and Engineering, telephone: 703-292-7049, email: lcampbel@nsf.gov

Leah Nichols,Office of Integrative Activities, telephone: (703) 292-2983, email: lenichol@nsf.gov

Rachel Melnick, USDA/NIFA, telephone: 202-401-4980, email: rmelnick@nifa.usda.gov

Applicable Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s):

10.310 --- USDA-NIFA Agriculture and Food Research Initiative47.041 --- Engineering47.049 --- Mathematical and Physical Sciences47.050 --- Geosciences47.070 --- Computer and Information Science and Engineering47.074 --- Biological Sciences47.075 --- Social Behavioral and Economic Sciences47.076 --- Education and Human Resources47.079 --- Office of International Science and Engineering47.083 --- Office of Integrative Activities (OIA)

Award Information

Anticipated Type of Award: Standard Grant or Continuing Grant

Estimated Number of Awards: 15 to 30

Projects submitted to all tracks must have total budgets less than or equal to $2,500,000.

Estimated Number of Awards:

Track 1: 5 to 10 awards; Track 2: 5 to 10 awards; Track 3: 5 to 10 awards

Both NSF and USDA/NIFA funds will be used to support Tracks 1-3. NSF will share all submitted materials with USDA/NIFA. Some

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projects and/or subawards may be funded directly by USDA/NIFA as determined by a joint NSF/USDA decision. If all or a portion ofa submitted proposal is determined by NSF and USDA/NIFA to be funded by USDA-NIFA, the lead PI/institution or subawardee willbe instructed to update those portions of the proposal that must conform to differing USDA/NIFA guidelines. Subsequent grantadministration procedures will be in accordance with the individual policies of the awarding agency.

Anticipated Funding Amount: $40,000,000

The total amount available for this solicitation is $40,000,000. Of this amount, NSF anticipates contributing approximately$35,000,000 and USDA/NIFA anticipates contributing approximately $5,000,000. This plan is subject to the availability of funds. Thisprogram solicitation is being released prior to the passage of a National Institute of Food and Agriculture appropriations act for FY2017. Enactment of additional continuing resolutions or an appropriations act may affect the availability of funds or level of fundingfor this program.

Projects submitted to all tracks must have total budgets less than or equal to $2,500,000. If any proposal exceeds $2,500,000, it willresult in “Return Without Review.” Funding requests from international partners on this solicitation are independent of and notincluded in the $2.5M cap. Budget requirements for international partners are discussed here[https://www.nsf.gov/od/oise/INFEWS/the_international_partnerships.jsp].

This is an interagency partnership between NSF and USDA/NIFA; therefore meritorious proposals may be funded by one or moreagencies at the option of the agencies, not the proposer. Both agencies will contribute to and participate in a common reviewprocess. All proposals MUST conform to NSF budgetary and proposal submission guidelines by the due dates for each track.

Eligibility Information

Who May Submit Proposals:

Proposals may only be submitted by the following:

Universities and Colleges - Universities and two- and four-year colleges (including community colleges)accredited in, and having a campus located in, the US acting on behalf of their faculty members. Suchorganizations also are referred to as academic institutions.Non-profit, non-academic organizations: Independent museums, observatories, research labs,professional societies and similar organizations in the U.S. associated with educational or researchactivities.For proposals to be considered for funding under USDA/NIFA: Eligible applicants for the grant programimplemented under INFEWS include: (1) State agricultural experiment stations; (2) colleges anduniversities (including junior colleges offering associate degrees or higher); (3) university researchfoundations; (4) other research institutions and organizations; (5) Federal agencies, (6) nationallaboratories; (7) private organizations or corporations; (8) individuals who are U.S. citizens, nationals, orpermanent residents; and (9) any group consisting of 2 or more entities identified in (1) through (8).Eligible institutions do not include foreign and international organizations. Award recipients maysubcontract to organizations not eligible to apply provided such organizations are necessary for theconduct of the project.

Who May Serve as PI:

There are no restrictions or limits for the allowable organizations listed above. To be considered as an NSFproposal, federal agencies and federally funded research and development centers (FFRDCs) can participate onlyas subawardees or unpaid collaborators. FFRDC and federal agency scientists cannot serve as lead PI to beeligible for NSF funding. Non-NSF sponsored FFRDCs are required to provide a letter of support from theiragency.

Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization:

There is no limit on the number of proposals per organization. However, there is a limitation on the number ofsubmissions per scientist as noted below.

Limit on Number of Proposals per PI or Co-PI:

An individual may be lead PI, coPI, Senior Personnel, or Consultant on:

No more than two proposals andNo more than one proposal per track.If an individual is on 2 proposals in any of these positions, s/he may be a lead PI on ONLY ONE of thetwo proposals.

These limitations includes proposals submitted by a lead organization or any subaward submitted as part of aproposal.

Please be advised that violations of these rules will result in “return without review” for ALL proposals submittedthat include the individual in violation of these rules.

Please note: All materials should be submitted to NSF and must conform to NSF PAPPG guidelines(including budgetary/overhead considerations) at the time of submission. NSF will share all submittedmaterials with USDA/NIFA. If all or a portion of a submitted proposal is determined by NSF and USDA/NIFA tobe funded by USDA-NIFA, the lead PI/institution or subawardee will be instructed to update those portions of theproposal that must conform to differing USDA guidelines. Subsequent grant administration procedures will be inaccordance with the individual policies of the awarding agency.

Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions

A. Proposal Preparation Instructions

Letters of Intent: Not required

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Preliminary Proposal Submission: Not required

Full Proposals:

Full Proposals submitted via FastLane: NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide, Part I: GrantProposal Guide (GPG) Guidelines apply. The complete text of the GPG is available electronically on the NSFwebsite at: http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=gpg.Full Proposals submitted via Grants.gov: NSF Grants.gov Application Guide: A Guide for the Preparation andSubmission of NSF Applications via Grants.gov Guidelines apply (Note: The NSF Grants.gov Application Guide isavailable on the Grants.gov website and on the NSF website at: http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=grantsgovguide)

B. Budgetary Information

Cost Sharing Requirements:

Inclusion of voluntary committed cost sharing is prohibited.

Indirect Cost (F&A) Limitations:

NSF: No limitations.

For awards made by USDA/NIFA: Section 715 of the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015 (Pub.L. 113-235) limits indirect costs on NIFA awards to 30 percent of the total Federal funds provided (or 42.857 percent oftotal direct costs) under each award. Similar language may be included in the FY 2016 appropriation, therefore, whenpreparing budgets, you should limit your request for the recovery of indirect costs to the lesser of your institution’s officialnegotiated indirect cost rate or the equivalent of 30 percent of total Federal funds awarded. See Part V section 7.9 of theNIFA Grants.gov Application Guide for further indirect cost information.

Other Budgetary Limitations:

Not Applicable

C. Due Dates

Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.m. submitter's local time):

March 06, 2017

Proposal Review Information Criteria

Merit Review Criteria:

National Science Board approved criteria. Additional merit review considerations apply. Please see the full text of this solicitation forfurther information.

Award Administration Information

Award Conditions:

Additional award conditions apply. Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information.

Reporting Requirements:

Additional reporting requirements apply. Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Summary of Program Requirements

I. Introduction

II. Program Description

III. Award Information

IV. Eligibility Information

V. Proposal Preparation and Submission InstructionsA. Proposal Preparation InstructionsB. Budgetary InformationC. Due DatesD. FastLane/Grants.gov Requirements

VI. NSF Proposal Processing and Review ProceduresA. Merit Review Principles and CriteriaB. Review and Selection Process

VII. Award Administration InformationA. Notification of the Award

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B. Award ConditionsC. Reporting Requirements

VIII . Agency Contacts

IX. Other Information

X. Appendix

I. INTRODUCTION

Humanity is reliant upon the physical resources and natural systems of the Earth for the provision of food, energy, and water. It isbecoming imperative that we determine how society can best integrate across the natural and built environments to provide for agrowing demand for food, water and energy while maintaining appropriate ecosystem services. Factors contributing to stresses inthe food and energy and water (FEW) systems include increasing regional and social pressures and governance issues as the resultof land use change, climate variability, and heterogeneous resource distribution. Interconnections and interdependencies associatedwith the FEW nexus create research grand challenges for understanding how the complex, coupled processes of society and theenvironment function now, and in the future. To meet these grand challenges, there is a critical need for research that enables newmeans of adapting to future challenges. The FEW systems must be conceptualized broadly, incorporating physical processes (suchas built infrastructure and new technologies for more efficient resource utilization), natural processes (such as biogeochemical andhydrologic cycles), biological processes (such as agroecosystem structure and productivity), social/behavioral processes (such asdecision making and governance), and cyber-components (such as sensing, networking, computation and visualization for decision-making and assessment). Investigations of these complex systems may produce discoveries that cannot emerge from research onfood or energy or water systems alone. It is the synergy among these components in the context of sustainability that will openinnovative science and engineering pathways to produce new knowledge, novel technologies and predictive capabilities to solve thechallenges of scarcity and variability.

The overarching goal of INFEWS is to catalyze well-integrated interdisciplinary and convergent research to transform scientificunderstanding of the FEW nexus (integrating all three components rather than addressing them separately), in order to improvesystem function and management, address system stress, increase resilience, and ensure sustainability. The NSF INFEWS initiativeis designed specifically to attain the following goals:

1. Significantly advance our understanding of the food-energy-water system through quantitative, predictive and computationalmodeling, including support for relevant cyberinfrastructure;

2. Develop real-time, cyber-enabled interfaces that improve understanding of the behavior of FEW systems and increasedecision support capability;

3. Enable research that will lead to innovative, solutions to critical FEW systems problems; and4. Grow the scientific workforce capable of studying and managing the FEW system, through education and other professional

development opportunities.

This initiative enables interagency cooperation on one of the most pressing problems of the millennium - understanding interactionsacross the FEW nexus - how it is likely to affect our world, and how we can proactively plan for its consequences. It allows thepartner agencies - National Science Foundation (NSF) and the United States Department of Agriculture National Institute of Foodand Agriculture (USDA/NIFA) and others - to combine resources to identify and fund the most meritorious and highest-impactprojects that support their respective missions, while eliminating duplication of effort and fostering collaboration between agenciesand the investigators they support.

In addition, NSF and USDA/NIFA are interested in promoting international cooperation that links scientists and engineers from arange of disciplines and organizations to solve the significant global challenges at the nexus of FEW systems. Proposals includinginternational collaboration are encouraged when those efforts enhance the merit of the proposed work by incorporating uniqueresources, expertise, facilities or sites of international partners. The U.S. team’s international counterparts generally should havesupport or obtain funding through non-NSF sources. To facilitate coordinating research activities between US and internationalpartners, specific collaborative funding opportunities have been developed involving some international partners. These opportunitiesare listed at [https://www.nsf.gov/od/oise/INFEWS/the_international_partnerships.jsp] and are described in more detail below.

II. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

General Requirements

Systems Approach: The INFEWS program defines food and energy and water (FEW) systems as inclusive of physical processes(such as built infrastructure and new technologies for more efficient resource utilization), natural processes (such as biogeochemicaland hydrological cycles), agricultural and biological processes (such as agroecosystem structure and productivity), social andbehavioral processes (such as decision making and governance), and cyber-components (such as sensing networking, computation,visualization of decision-making and assessment). The INFEWS program also recognizes that FEW systems may appropriately bedefined at a wide range of temporal and spatial scales; locally to globally.

Although each proposal does not need to examine all processes listed in the previous paragraph, proposals submitted to theINFEWS solicitation must define the FEW systems intended for study. The FEW system(s) description should identify thesystems boundaries and the primary food and energy and water components that make up the integrated FEW system(s) ofthe study. The scope of the problem must include the important and governing components not just those that satisfy the “threecomponents”. Proposals that investigate integrated components of two of the three areas, while treating the third as a BroaderImpact will not review well, and in some cases, may be returned without review. Successful proposals will define appropriatefeedback mechanisms and dynamics among the FEW system components to be studied. Proposals should also identify how theresearch will account for exogenous inputs to the system, where relevant. PIs should justify their approach in the proposal.

Integration across Disciplines: Proposals submitted to the INFEWS program must demonstrate meaningful integration acrossdisciplines to address the principal objectives outlined below and should go beyond existing approaches that can be addressed

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within the individual disciplines and usual core-program co-funded research opportunities at NSF and USDA/NIFA. Although manydisciplinary challenges remain in FEW systems research, this solicitation intends to bridge significant existing gaps betweendisciplinary foci, and to foster new lines of research that emerge only in an interdisciplinary context.

Proposals must document that the proposed research is truly interdisciplinary, that the respective components are fully integrated andnecessary for the successful execution of the proposed project, and that the research team contains sufficient expertise to carry outall dimensions of the research plan. Plans for integration of the respective research components must be fully outlined in theproposal.

In order to ensure a sufficiently broad interdisciplinary approach, INFEWS proposals must integrate and engage the disciplinaryscience from three or more intellectually distinct disciplines that represent scientific areas typically supported by three ormore of the participating NSF directorates (CISE, ENG, GEO, MPS, SBE) or two (or more) directorates and USDA/NIFA.(USDA/NIFA may be invoked as a "discipline" if the research focus represents a topical area that is uniquely distinct from disciplinestypically supported by participating NSF Directorates (CISE, ENG, GEO, MPS, SBE). The FEW Context Statement shouldcarefully elaborate the specific disciplines as well as the relevant differences between NSF and USDA/NIFA "discipline").See also Frequently Asked Questions at the end of the solicitation.

Leverage existing investments: Multiple agencies and universities have established data collection and measurement programsthat provide a significant background of information to many potential FEW systems studies. An INFEWS project should utilize suchdata sources when appropriate and propose the measurement and collection of new data only if they are critical to the FEW systemunder study.

In addition, pursuing INFEWS and INFEWS-related research topics and projects may require that novel capabilities be added toexisting shared cyberinfrastructure to be successful. This solicitation also seeks potential investments that would introduce newcapabilities and novel cyberinfrastructure approaches to addressing the scientific challenges inherent in INFEWS research, leading topreviously unattainable results.

Partnerships : INFEWS research has natural linkages to federal agencies and a wide spectrum of other stakeholders. Wheneverappropriate, partnerships are encouraged between universities; research centers; federal agencies and national labs; state,local, and tribal governments; and private organizations . Such partnerships should be considered for improved definition ofunderlying scientific problems such that effective and impactful approaches may be developed.

NSF and USDA/NIFA are interested in promoting international cooperation that links scientists and engineers from a range ofdisciplines and organizations to solve the significant global challenges at the nexus of FEW systems. Proposals includinginternational collaboration are encouraged when those efforts enhance the merit of the proposed work by incorporating uniqueresources, expertise, facilities or sites of international partners. Research may involve any country/countries, but the U.S. team’sinternational counterparts generally should have support or obtain funding through non-NSF sources.

To facilitate coordinating research activities between US and international partners, specific collaborative funding opportunities havebeen developed involving some international partners. These opportunities are listed here[[https://www.nsf.gov/od/oise/INFEWS/the_international_partnerships.jsp] and are described in more detail below in Section II underInternational Collaboration. International funding agencies who partner with NSF on this solicitation may send a representative toattend all panel meetings and listen to review of all proposals, including those with no international components. Full proposals andreviews may be shared with funding agency partners for those proposals involving that partner’s country.

Projects submitted to all tracks must have total budgets less than or equal to $2,500,000. If any Track proposal exceeds $2,500,000,it will result in an automatic “Return Without Review.” Funding requests from international partners on this solicitation areindependent of and not included in the $2.5million cap. Budget requirements for international partners are discussed here[https://www.nsf.gov/od/oise/INFEWS/the_international_partnerships.jsp].

International Collaboration

NSF has partnered with international partner funding organizations to coordinate research activities between US researchers andthose in several other countries. The countries and funding agencies who are collaborating are listed here[https://www.nsf.gov/od/oise/INFEWS/the_international_partnerships.jsp]. Under the coordinating agreements, these funding agenciesmay recommend reviewers who may be selected to serve as panelists and may send an observer to attend all review/panelmeetings. Partner funding agency observers may listen to discussion of all proposals, including those that do not includeinternational collaboration, and may fully participate in the decision-making process for proposals that include researchers from theircountries. Proposals that involve international collaboration with the countries listed at[https://www.nsf.gov/od/oise/INFEWS/the_international_partnerships.jsp] may be shared with the funding agency(s) from the relevantcountry(s), along with reviews, supplementary documents and other materials needed to reach a funding decision.

Proposals involving international collaboration should clearly describe the work that will be accomplished by the entire team,including the international partners, and how the international partners’ efforts will be supported. There are two possible modes ofinternational collaboration:

Collaboration with researchers in countries listed at [https://www.nsf.gov/od/oise/INFEWS/the_international_partnerships.jsp]in which a partner funding agency may support the funds required by that international collaborator. More details areavailable at the link listed above, including details on the documents to include in your proposal and budget limits forinternational partners set by their funding agency(s).

Collaboration with non-US researchers whose countries are not listed at[https://www.nsf.gov/od/oise/INFEWS/the_international_partnerships.jsp]. Many international research collaborators,especially in developed countries, have opportunities for support from their own funding agencies even if they are notpartners on this solicitation. In addition, developing country collaborators who are working with NSF-funded researchersmay be eligible to submit proposals to the Partnerships for Enhanced Engagement in Research (PEER) program, which isfunded by USAID and managed by the US National Academies: www.nationalacademies.org/peer. Support should besought from non-NSF sources wherever possible and the proposal should state how the international partners will pursuesupport. The NSF budget may include limited funds for services provided by non-US persons only if those services areessential to the success of the project, if they could not be provided by a US-based person or organization, and if analternative funding source to support that activity is not available.

Separate from this solicitation, NSF anticipates participating in a call for proposals from the Belmont Forum on globalurbanization and the food, energy, water nexus. Information on this separate opportunity may be found here:https://belmontforum.org/

INFEWS Tracks

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This solicitation outlines three tracks of research: (1) FEW System Modeling; (2) Visualization and Decision support for Cyber-Human-Physical Systems at the FEW Nexus; and (3) Research to Enable Innovative Solutions. A proposal may be submitted toONLY ONE track per competition. Proposals submitted to more than one track or proposals that fail to specify a track in the title willbe returned without review.

Track 1: FEW System Modeling

Track 1 aims to significantly advance understanding of FEW systems with advanced modeling that investigates the functioning ofcoupled biotic, abiotic, engineered and social systems. The goal is to define and understand the couplings/linkages, feedbackmechanisms and processes among the FEW systems components and to elucidate the factors that influence resilience, thresholdsand criticalities. Track 1 projects should articulate clear hypotheses and/or describe what anticipated theoretical advancements willlikely emerge from the modeling efforts. These projects should enable innovative perspectives and advances in understanding andmodeling complex systems processes. Development of advanced computational methods and effective means for incorporation oflarge quantities of disparate data, as implemented in new and novel software and tools, is also appropriate.

Projects might use a wide variety of different systems analyses and modeling approaches to explore the functional dynamics ofFEW systems. Some projects might integrate across models from multiple disciplinary domains, including, but not limited toagricultural, behavioral, computational, cultural, ecological, economic, energy, engineering, geospatial, hydrological, mathematical,political and social. Projects might also explore disparate types of datasets in order to develop new understandings of FEWrelationships, systems and their dynamics. Some of the proposed projects may address additional cyberinfrastructure capabilities thatcould include advanced computational infrastructure supporting advanced modeling, and/or data integration across multiple scales(including the possibility of real-time sensing)

Systems chosen for study must be examined to define/quantify spatially heterogeneous FEW systems responses to various internaland external driving factors that occur on both short and long timescales. FEW systems operation must be investigated under theinfluence of single and multiple driving factors. FEW models should allow for investigation of system resiliency, attempt to identifythresholds, and explore system response to variability among critical parameters singly, in combination, or at extreme values.

INFEWS and INFEWS-related research topics and projects may also require novel capabilities to existing shared cyberinfrastructureto be successful. Track 1 projects may introduce new capabilities and novel computing cyberinfrastructure and data integrationapproaches to address the scientific challenges inherent in INFEWS research, leading to previously unattainable results. Here, theemphasis will be upon extending existing, shared cyberinfrastructure resources (at the campus, regional, or national level) tospecifically address the computational cyberinfrastructure challenges associated with the proposed INFEWs research.

Proposed Track 1 project/models must be designed to assess (a) the model’s generalizability through either site-to-site comparisonsor within site comparisons at multiple time/space scales, or (b) the model’s ability to evaluate minimization-of-risk with respect toFEW services, the components/couplings that define threshold and resilient FEW systems behavior and the impact of mitigation andadaptation with respect to minimization-of-risk. Alternately, projects where advanced cyberinfrastructure is the focus, must assessperformance and strategic potential of the new cyberinfrastructure, as well as its ability to enable INFEWS research advances.

Track 2: Visualization and Decision Support for Cyber-Human-Physical Systems at the FEW Nexus

Cyber-human-physical systems (CHPS) integrate decision making at different spatial and temporal scales with sensing, computation,and networking measurements of the social, natural, physical and built worlds. From this perspective, INFEWS represents CHPS ona grand scale that is tightly woven between the physical and the human fabrics. Each FEW system is a large CHPS with humaninteraction influencing system outcomes. Track 2 seeks to develop the core system science needed to understand the interactionsbetween these diverse but closely coupled components that operate at multiple temporal and spatial scales.

CHPS research for the FEW systems nexus will necessitate the research, design, and implementation of new analytic algorithms thatwill (a) support real-time management, near-real time decision making, and longer term planning; and (b) provide a science basis toaid in policy generation for decision making on week to decadal timescales and across multiple closely integrated systems.Aggregation of multiple data sources and integration of analysis into a comprehensive framework for decision making in the FEWcontext is required. Finally, all these capabilities must exist within a secure and resilient environment that provides appropriate levelsof data privacy. This track seeks open, accessible computing environments and infrastructures to enable suitable response times.Proposals should describe how their research will contribute to improved decision support and include discussion of relevantscenarios. Examples providing proposed visualization and human interaction and quantifying predicted improvement are encouraged.Research challenges include, but are not limited to:

New methods, and data science algorithms for integrating multiple, heterogeneous, and high-volume FEW data fromphysical, ecological, engineered, and social sources that facilitate the extraction of actionable information;Innovative, open and scalable computing architectures capable of supporting effective resource management and humandecision makingModeling approaches and algorithms that can capture FEW component interactions at multiple temporal and spatial scalesand support cyber-human-physical system resource management;New approaches to verify cyber-human-physical system behaviorsVisualization tools for multi-scale and multi-user data and model interpretation and analysis as well as decision supportSecurity for multiple levels of the FEW system and their interactions

Track 3: Research to Enable Innovative System Solutions

FEW systems are facing multiple stresses, including, but not limited to, increasing global populations, rapid land use change, shiftingsocial, economic and governance norms, and escalating climate variability. Heterogeneous resource distribution and access,increasing resource scarcity, degraded resource quality, and diminished ecosystem services also challenge long-term FEW systemssustainability. Track 3 projects will develop and examine innovative solutions that address specific FEW system challenges and aimto enhance FEW systems’ resilience and sustainability. Research on innovative institutional, behavioral, and technological solutions– and the coupled-combinations of solutions – is needed. Track 3 research might explore sustainable management solutions,examine the drivers of resource consumption, and study the means of extending resources via methods such as reducing, recycling,recovery, and reuse, among other topics.

Track 3 projects must take a systems approach when researching potential solutions. A project that addresses the three components(food, energy, and water) separately, rather than integrating all three in a single system simultaneously, is not appropriate for theINFEWS solicitation. Projects should demonstrate how the envisioned solution will contribute to system-wide improvements acrosssectors and places accounting for appropriate variabilities across temporal and spatial scales. Solutions may increase stress atcertain scales, or during an initial adjustment period, but may prove to reduce key stressors in a broader context or over longer timehorizons. Proposers should be cognizant that solutions often imply increased resource investments across differing cultural and legalcontexts, and, therefore have the potential to increase systems level stresses and other unintended consequences. Hence, theproposed approaches must identify solutions in a broad systems context beyond the specific proposed solution.

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Specific areas of interest include, but are not limited to:

Governance: Research on the cultural, behavioral, institutional, legal, organizational, political, social, and technologicalinnovations that improve the sustainability, efficiency, equity, and resiliency of FEW systems is needed. Managerial, social,and policy innovations may involve intergovernmental relations as well as formal and informal governance structures. Theeffectiveness of innovations in one domain may depend on complementary innovations in other domains.Efficient Use of Resources: One goal of INFEWS is to address production, consumption and waste. Scientific, engineering,institutional, social, and behavioral solutions to improve FEW systems efficiencies should be coupled with new knowledgeof how ecological, economic, social, and physical systems interact. Projects can address production, consumption andwaste as well as how these aspects of FEW systems interact with each other in technical and non-technical domains tominimize resource consumption and waste at a systems level.Conversion and/or Reuse of Waste Materials: New devices, sensors, catalysts, nanomaterials, smart filters, and processesmay be required to detect, remove, destroy or convert compounds of concern from waste streams, or to turn wasteconstituents into valuable primary or secondary products. A FEW systems approach to these problems may also revealuses for ‘waste’ that do not require complete reversion back to pristine conditions. Proposals should either demonstrate orinclude plans to examine the expected effects of wide-spread adoption of the proposed innovation on the FEW system.Projects should also consider the incentives and obstacles to deployment of such solutions.Systems Sustainability: INFEWS aims to enable research on innovative strategies for appropriate management of naturaland physical systems. Questions of use, access, and governance will likely be important in this context. Spatialincongruities between the natural and political boundaries of the various component systems and temporal mismatchesbetween decision-making timeframes and systems response and dynamics may also need to be addressed.

III. AWARD INFORMATION

Anticipated Type of Award: Continuing Grant or Standard Grant

Estimated Number of Awards: 15 to 30

Anticipated Funding Amount: $40,000,000

The total amount available for this solicitation is $40,000,000. Of this amount, NSF anticipates contributing approximately$35,000,000 and USDA/NIFA anticipates contributing approximately $5,000,000. This plan is subject to the availability of funds. Thisprogram solicitation is being released prior to the passage of a National Institute of Food and Agriculture appropriations act for FY2017. Enactment of additional continuing resolutions or an appropriations act may affect the availability of funds or level of fundingfor this program.

Projects submitted to all tracks must have total budgets less than or equal to $2,500,000.

Estimated Number of Awards:

Track 1: 5 to 10 awards; Track 2: 5 to 10 awards; Track 3: 5 to 10 awards

Both NSF and USDA/NIFA funds will be used to support Tracks 1-3. NSF will share all submitted materials with USDA/NIFA. Someprojects and/or subawards may be funded directly by USDA/NIFA as determined by a joint NSF/USDA decision. If all or a portion ofa submitted proposal is determined by NSF and USDA/NIFA to be funded by USDA-NIFA, the lead PI/institution or subawardee willbe instructed to update those portions of the proposal that must conform to differing USDA/NIFA guidelines. Subsequent grantadministration procedures will be in accordance with the individual policies of the awarding agency.

IV. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

Who May Submit Proposals:

Proposals may only be submitted by the following:

Universities and Colleges - Universities and two- and four-year colleges (including community colleges)accredited in, and having a campus located in, the US acting on behalf of their faculty members. Suchorganizations also are referred to as academic institutions.Non-profit, non-academic organizations: Independent museums, observatories, research labs,professional societies and similar organizations in the U.S. associated with educational or researchactivities.For proposals to be considered for funding under USDA/NIFA: Eligible applicants for the grant programimplemented under INFEWS include: (1) State agricultural experiment stations; (2) colleges anduniversities (including junior colleges offering associate degrees or higher); (3) university researchfoundations; (4) other research institutions and organizations; (5) Federal agencies, (6) nationallaboratories; (7) private organizations or corporations; (8) individuals who are U.S. citizens, nationals, orpermanent residents; and (9) any group consisting of 2 or more entities identified in (1) through (8).Eligible institutions do not include foreign and international organizations. Award recipients maysubcontract to organizations not eligible to apply provided such organizations are necessary for theconduct of the project.

Who May Serve as PI:

There are no restrictions or limits for the allowable organizations listed above. To be considered as an NSFproposal, federal agencies and federally funded research and development centers (FFRDCs) can participate onlyas subawardees or unpaid collaborators. FFRDC and federal agency scientists cannot serve as lead PI to beeligible for NSF funding. Non-NSF sponsored FFRDCs are required to provide a letter of support from theiragency.

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Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization:

There is no limit on the number of proposals per organization. However, there is a limitation on the number ofsubmissions per scientist as noted below.

Limit on Number of Proposals per PI or Co-PI:

An individual may be lead PI, coPI, Senior Personnel, or Consultant on:

No more than two proposals andNo more than one proposal per track.If an individual is on 2 proposals in any of these positions, s/he may be a lead PI on ONLY ONE of thetwo proposals.

These limitations includes proposals submitted by a lead organization or any subaward submitted as part of aproposal.

Please be advised that violations of these rules will result in “return without review” for ALL proposals submittedthat include the individual in violation of these rules.

Please note: All materials should be submitted to NSF and must conform to NSF PAPPG guidelines(including budgetary/overhead considerations) at the time of submission. NSF will share all submittedmaterials with USDA/NIFA. If all or a portion of a submitted proposal is determined by NSF and USDA/NIFA tobe funded by USDA-NIFA, the lead PI/institution or subawardee will be instructed to update those portions of theproposal that must conform to differing USDA guidelines. Subsequent grant administration procedures will be inaccordance with the individual policies of the awarding agency.

Additional Eligibility Info:

If one participating unit constitutes an FFRDC and/or another US government agency, expenses associated withparticipation of those scientists should be consolidated into a single subaward (for each agency). Should theproposal be successful, the full FFRDC financial commitment must be met by the FFRDC or agency; thereforeFFRDC and agency submissions should be cleared in advance with the relevant agency and the submissionshould be supported by an email or letter of commitment from that agency (provided in SupplementaryDocuments).

Please note: All materials should be submitted to NSF according to NSF PAPPG guidelines and the specialchanges indicated in this solicitation (and not USDA-NIFA submission guidelines). NSF will share all submittedmaterials with USDA/NIFA who will fully participate in an agreed-upon review and/or paneling process.

Individual researchers and researchers at ineligible organizations may be included on proposals from eligibleinstitutions through subawards or as consultants.

For proposals to be considered for possible funding by USDA/NIFA: Eligible applicants for the grant programimplemented under INFEWS include: (1) State agricultural experiment stations; (2) colleges and universities(including junior colleges offering associate degrees or higher); (3) university research foundations; (4) otherresearch institutions and organizations; (5) Federal agencies, (6) national laboratories; (7) private organizations orcorporations; (8) individuals who are U.S. citizens, nationals, or permanent residents; and (9) any group consistingof 2 or more entities identified in (1) through (8). Eligible institutions do not include foreign and internationalorganizations.

Federal Agencies and FFDRCs should also be aware of the specific Indirect cost (F&A) Limitations for awardsmade by USDA/NIFA.

Projects involving federal agencies or national laboratories will only be considered for co-funding by NSF if theyare cooperative efforts that involve non-federally funded institutions. Proposals from FFRDCs must obey NSFbudget guidelines and may not include costs already covered by federal funds. To facilitate possible interagencyfunding of such collaborations, an institution other than the federal agency or national laboratory must serve as thelead institution.

As a general rule, projects which end up being funded by USDA/NIFA will follow normal operational USDA/NIFAguidelines for agencies and FFRDCs; projects funded under this solicitation by NSF will follow normal operationalNSF guidelines for agencies and national laboratories (PAPPG Chapter I.E.7). Under exceptional circumstances,research or education projects at other Federal agencies or FFRDCs that can make unique contributions to theneeds of researchers elsewhere or to other specific NSF objectives may receive NSF support. This generallymeans that other federal agencies and/or FFRDCs should not be the lead organization and specific budgetaryrestrictions apply per NSF.

V. PROPOSAL PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

A. Proposal Preparation Instructions

Full Proposal Preparation Instructions: Proposers may opt to submit proposals in response to this Program Solicitation viaGrants.gov or via the NSF FastLane system.

Full proposals submitted via FastLane: Proposals submitted in response to this program solicitation should be prepared andsubmitted in accordance with the general guidelines contained in the NSF Grant Proposal Guide (GPG). The complete textof the GPG is available electronically on the NSF website at: http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=gpg.Paper copies of the GPG may be obtained from the NSF Publications Clearinghouse, telephone (703) 292-7827 or by e-mail from nsfpubs@nsf.gov. Proposers are reminded to identify this program solicitation number in the program solicitationblock on the NSF Cover Sheet For Proposal to the National Science Foundation. Compliance with this requirement is criticalto determining the relevant proposal processing guidelines. Failure to submit this information may delay processing.

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Full proposals submitted via Grants.gov: Proposals submitted in response to this program solicitation via Grants.gov shouldbe prepared and submitted in accordance with the NSF Grants.gov Application Guide: A Guide for the Preparation andSubmission of NSF Applications via Grants.gov. The complete text of the NSF Grants.gov Application Guide is available onthe Grants.gov website and on the NSF website at: (http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=grantsgovguide). To obtain copies of the Application Guide and Application Forms Package, click on the Apply tabon the Grants.gov site, then click on the Apply Step 1: Download a Grant Application Package and Application Instructionslink and enter the funding opportunity number, (the program solicitation number without the NSF prefix) and press theDownload Package button. Paper copies of the Grants.gov Application Guide also may be obtained from the NSFPublications Clearinghouse, telephone (703) 292-7827 or by e-mail from nsfpubs@nsf.gov.

See Chapter II.C.2 of the GPG for guidance on the required sections of a full research proposal submitted to NSF. Please note thatthe proposal preparation instructions provided in this program solicitation may deviate from the GPG instructions.

The following instructions supplement or deviate from the guidance in the PAPPG and NSF Grants.gov Application Guide.

Please note: All materials should be submitted to NSF. NSF will share all submitted materials with USDA/NIFA and otherparticipating agencies.

There are specific instructions with regard to Multi-Institutional Proposals, title of Proposal, Co-Review, preparation of “BiographicalSketches”, “Results of Prior Research” and “Collaborators and Other Affiliations”.

There are also specific instructions for Supplementary Documents with regard to preparation of: Data Management Plan,Postdoctoral Researcher Mentoring Plan, Project Personnel Table, Results of Prior Research, Management Plan, Letters of Supportand the FEW Context Statement.

Failure to follow these instructions can result in a proposal being returned without review (RWR).

Special Instructions for the following:

1. Multi-Institutional Proposals2. Title of Proposal3. Co-Review4. Biographical sketches5. Results of Prior Research6. Supplementary Documents7. Single Copy Documents - “Collaborators and Other Affiliations”

Multi-Institutional Proposals: Any proposals involving multiple institutions must be submitted by the lead institution with all otherinstitutions included via subawards. Simultaneous submission of proposals from different institutions (as described under PAPPGChapter II.D.3) will not be accepted.

Title of Proposal: Submissions will have a title beginning with “INFEWS/T1”, “INFEWS/T2” or “INFEWS/T3” depending upon thespecific track to which the proposal is submitted (proposals may be submitted to only one track). These lead characters should befollowed by any other indicators if appropriate. The title should state clearly and succinctly the focus of the project.

Co-Review: PIs may not request co-review by other tracks or programs at NSF. International partners from the countries andorganizations listed at [https://www.nsf.gov/od/oise/INFEWS/the_international_partnerships.jsp] will participate in the review ofproposals involving their country(s) and partner agencies will attend all review panels and hear review of all proposals submitted tothis competition.

Biographical Sketches: Biographical Sketches of all PIs, co-PIs, senior personnel and consultants (that define the scientific teamlisted in the Project Personnel Table) should be provided in ‘Biographical Sketches’ section (preferably in the order presented in theProject Personnel table) of the lead organization’s proposal and must adhere to NSF guidelines (refer to PAPPG Chapter II.C.2.f fordetailed Biosketch preparation instructions). Biographical sketches for international collaborators should be included. Do not placeany biographical sketches in Supplementary Documents.

Results from Prior Research : Note that this should be uploaded as described below. It should not be part of the 15 pagedescription as is indicated in the PAPPG. Results of prior research is not required for international partners unless they havereceived NSF funding.

Supplementary Documents: These Documents, discussed below, should be provided in the following order:

Document 1: Data Management Plan(up to 2 pages): The Data Management Plan should describe how the project will use andcontribute to centralized efforts for data management including model-run output where applicable. The Data Management Planmust be submitted under the specific tab indicated in Supplementary Materials. The following information should be provided:

The types of data, samples, physical collections, software, and other materials to be produced in the course of the project;The standards to be used for data and metadata format and content (where existing standards are absent or deemedinadequate, this should be documented along with any proposed solutions or remedies); in all cases existing publiclyaccessible data bases should be utilized wherever it is appropriate;Policies for access and sharing including provisions for appropriate protection of privacy, confidentiality, security, intellectualproperty, or other rights or requirements;Policies and provisions for re-use, re-distribution, and the production of derivatives;Plans for archiving data, samples, and other research products, and for preservation of access to them;The data management plan is considered an integral part of the project and therefore subject to reviewer, panel, andprogram evaluation. Successful applicants will be expected to address data management issues in annual and final projectreports.

Document 2: Postdoctoral Researcher Mentoring Plan (if Applicable) (up to 1 page): Proposals that request funding to supportpostdoctoral researchers at any of the participating institutions must include a description of the disciplinary and cross-disciplinarymentoring activities that will be provided for such individuals. Only one single-page is allowed per proposal even if multiplepostdoctoral researchers from different institutions are involved. Thus the postdoctoral researcher mentoring plan will be anadditional means of providing cross-disciplinary mentoring across institutions and the project as a whole.

The Postdoctoral Researcher Mentoring Plan must be submitted under the specific tab indicated in Supplementary Materials.

Document 3: Other Supplementary Documents (one PDF containing the five documents, preferably in this order; descriptionslisted below):

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1. Project Personnel Table (Solicitation Addition to the PAPPG requirements).2. Results from Prior Research (up to four pages, Change in placement from the PAPPG requirements).3. Management Plan (up to three pages, Solicitation Addition to the PAPPG requirements).4. Letters of Collaboration.5. FEW Context Statement (one page, Solicitation Addition to the PAPPG requirements)

1. Project Personnel Table: The Project Personnel Table should specifically list PIs, co-PIs, senior personnel, andconsultants) for the proposal. The purpose of the Project Personnel Table is to provide both NSF staff and reviewersinformation on the roles of each person for these large research groups. It also indicates who should have a biographicalsketch, and who should be included in the “Results from Prior Research” section. The PPT Table should be created as aspreadsheet and uploaded as a character recognizable pdf.

Each proposal should submit ONE Project Personnel Table for their PROJECT. These individuals should be identified as totheir responsibility in the Management Plan and should have an NSF-style biosketch included within the “BiographicalSketches” portion of the proposal. The table should include the names of all individuals associated (named) with the projectincluding international participants according to the following template (use landscape layout if needed).

Column A: PI, co-PI, Senior Personnel or consultant on project (last name, first name).Column B: Institution of PI, co-PI, senior personnel, or consultant on project.Column C: project role, e.g. lead PI, co-PI, senior personnel, or consultant.

2. Results from Prior Research: "Results from Prior Research" (NSF research) must be provided (preferably in the order of theProject Personnel Table) for all named participating scientists (those appearing in the Project Personnel Table) as a singledocument of up to four pages and is to be included in Supplementary Documents. Thus, “Results from Prior NSFResearch” is not required to be placed into the 15 page project description. “Results of Prior NSF Research” is arequirement of all NSF submitted proposals. Instructions for what is to be included in “Results from Prior Research” areprovided in the PAPPG. For some Project Personnel, the phrase “not applicable” may be appropriate.

3. Management Plan (up to 3 pages; submit as a Supplementary Document): The management plan should describe themanagement, communication and administrative structure with sufficient detail to demonstrate the capability for conductingthe proposed work. The Management Plan is a key document used in the review of the proposals. It should identify theroles and responsibilities of all individuals named in the Project Personnel Table and should include an appropriate GanttPlot describing how the tasks will be integrated over the course of the project.

4. Letters of Collaboration: Applicants needing to document collaborative arrangements (confirmatory of cooperation on theproject) or other types of commitments must submit letters of collaboration (as Supplementary Documents). All letters ofcollaboration must be included at the time of the proposal submission. Letters should confirm that the organization/individualagrees to the responsibilities identified in the project description and the Management Plan. Letters of support that conveyan excessive sense of enthusiasm for the project or highlight research team qualifications are not permitted. It should NOTbe a letter of endorsement but rather a commitment to the participation as defined in the project description. Submission ofa letter of collaboration is not the same as submitting a separately submitted collaborative proposal (which is NOTALLOWED under this solicitation).

5. FEW Context Statement (up to one page, placed in the Supplementary Documents): The context statement will brieflysummarize key elements of the proposal and must contain the following information:

the persuasive reasons why the research is to be undertaken and how the work will significantly enhanceknowledge of FEW systems.an explanation and definition of the food and energy and water systems the work is addressing and why theoverall system to be studied is of importance.define and specifically name the (at least) three disciplines that will be engaged and integrated in the project. Thethree or more intellectually distinct disciplines must represent scientific areas typically supported by three or moreof the participating NSF directorates (CISE, ENG, GEO, MPS, SBE) or two (or more) directorates and USDA/NIFA.(USDA/NIFA may be invoked as a "discipline" if the research focus represents a topical area that is uniquelydistinct from disciplines typically supported by participating NSF Directorates (CISE, ENG, GEO, MPS, SBE). TheFEW Context Statement should carefully elaborate the specific disciplines as well as the relevant differencesbetween NSF and USDA/NIFA "discipline"). See also Frequently Asked Questions at the end of the solicitation.

The FEW Context Statement is an important component of the submission and review process. It is not a project summary, it is nota synopsis; it is a critical document specifically addressing the points noted above. Proposals that do not contain a FEW ContextStatement with the appropriate information will be subject to return without review.

Budget Request from International Partner Agency(s). For proposals involving international collaborators from countries listed at[https://www.nsf.gov/od/oise/INFEWS/the_international_partnerships.jsp], the budget request to the partner funding agency to supportpersonnel and/or research in that country should be provided as a supplementary document. Further details on materials to submitare at the website above. The $2.5M cap applies ONLY to the budget request from NSF. Budget limitations and requirements forinternational partners whose funding agencies are participating in this call are described at[https://www.nsf.gov/od/oise/INFEWS/the_international_partnerships.jsp].

Other Considerations: Where appropriate, investigators are encouraged to work in association with existing projects, observationalnetworks, experimental watersheds, long-term ecological research sites or research centers, or testing and evaluation facilities,whether supported by NSF or other agencies, such as USEPA, USGS, USDA/NIFA, ARS or NOAA. In such proposals, the projectdescription should make clear how the proposed work differs from and augments activities already supported. A letter stating thespecifics of cooperation or support from the ongoing activity for the proposed project should be included as SupplementaryDocuments.

Single Copy Documents

Collaborators and Other Affiliations Information. For this solicitation, and in lieu of instructions in the PAPPG Chapter II.C.1.e, theCollaborators and Other Affiliations Information should be prepared and submitted as follows.

A Collaborators and Other Affiliations Matrix Table should be uploaded as the “Collaborators and Other Affiliations Information”document according to the guidelines below (created as a spreadsheet and uploaded as a character recognizable pdf).

The Collaborators and Other Affiliations Matrix Table should specifically list PIs, coPIs, senior personnel, and consultants for theproposal, including international participants.

These individuals are named in the Project Personnel Table that is provided as a Supplementary Document and biographical

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sketch(es) for these individuals are provided in the Biographical Sketch(es) section of the proposal. If your project has named anadvisory committee or has letters of collaboration, the named members of the advisory committee should be listed on thespreadsheet, as should the signatories of the letters of collaboration.

Collaborators and other affiliations to be identified are (1) Ph.D. thesis advisors or advisees, (2) collaborators or co-authors for thepast 48 months, (3) co-editors within the past 24 months, (4) spouse or other relative(s), and (5) any other individuals with whom, orinstitutions with which, the PI, co-PIs, Senior Personnel or consultants have a business or financial relationship, including advisorycommittees (please specify type). If submitting via Grants.gov, complete the information and attach as a character recognizable PDFfile (see Field 5, Additional Single Copy Documents, on the NSF Grant Application Cover Page).

The Collaborators and Other Affiliations Matrix Table must include the information according to the following template (Pleaseprovide the Collaborators and Other Affiliations Matrix alphabetized by Column A then Column C). Use landscape layout if needed:

Column A: PI, co-PI, Senior Personnel or consultant on project (last name, first name). If your project has named anadvisory committee or has letters of collaboration, the named members of the advisory committee should be listed on theCollaborators and Other Affiliations Matrix as should the signatories of letters of collaboration (last name, first name).Column B: Institution of individuals named in column A.Column C: name of person with whom there is a collaboration or other affiliation for the person in column "A" (last name,first name). Named members of the advisory committee or signatories providing letters of collaboration do NOT need toprovide this information.Column D: institution/employer of person in column "C"Column E: type of collaboration or other affiliation

INFEWS Proposal Checklist

1. Cover Sheet (See PAPPG)2. Project Summary (See PAPPG)3. Project Description (See PAPPG – Note change : “Results from Prior Research” is NOT included in the 15 page limit for

this solicitation).4. References Cited (See PAPPG)5. Biographical Sketch(es) (See PAPPG. Please load them in the same order as they appear in the Project Personnel

Table).6. Proposal Budget (See PAPPG. Please note that all proposal budgets MUST comply with NSF policy at the due date). Note

also that Budgets submitted must include AT LEAST one person trip per year to the Washington D.C. area over the lifetimeof the project to represent the project at the annual INFEWS PI meeting. Budget for more than one PI meeting trip or travelby more than one project participant is allowed.

7. Current and Pending Support (for all PIs, Co-PIs, and Senior Personnel – See PAPPG)8. Facilities, Equipment, and Other Resources (See PAPPG)9. Supplementary Documents

Data Management Plan (See PAPPG)Postdoctoral Researcher Mentoring Plan (if applicable – see PAPPG)

10. Other Supplementary Docs (in order each part should appear)A. Project Personnel Table (addition for this solicitation)B. Results of Prior Research (Previously this was in the Project Description – it has been moved to this section for

this solicitation only)C. Management Plan (addition for this solicitation)D. Letters of CollaborationE. FEW Context StatementF. For projects that will include a request for funds from an international partner described here

[https://www.nsf.gov/od/oise/INFEWS/the_international_partnerships.jsp], the budget request from that internationalpartner should be included as a supplementary document.

11. Single Copy Documents (1 separate PDF file):

Collaborators and Other Affiliations Matrix – (addition for this solicitation, and replaces “Collaborator and Other AffiliationsInformation" Sections of the PAPPG).

B. Budgetary Information

Cost Sharing:

Inclusion of voluntary committed cost sharing is prohibited.

Indirect Cost (F&A) Limitations:

Proposals should be submitted with negotiated indirect costs for NSF. If a proposal or part of a proposal is selected forfunding by USDA/NIFA, PIs will receive further instruction. For awards made by USDA/NIFA: Section 713 of the ConsolidatedAppropriations Act, 2016 (Pub. L. 114-113) limits indirect costs to 30 percent of the total federal funds provided (or 42.857 percentof total direct costs) under each award. Similar language may be included in the FY 2017 appropriation, therefore, when preparingbudgets, you should limit your request for the recovery of indirect costs to the lesser of your institution’s official negotiated indirectcost rate or the equivalent of 30 percent of total Federal funds awarded. See Part V section 7.9 of the NIFA Grants.gov ApplicationGuide for further indirect cost information.

Budget Preparation Instructions:

If one participating unit constitutes an FFRDC and/or another US government agency, expenses associated with participation ofthose scientists should be consolidated into a single subaward (for each agency). Should the proposal be successful, the fullFFRDC financial commitment is to be met by the FFRDC agency. It is thus necessary that FFRDC submissions should be cleared inadvance with the relevant agency and the submission should be supported by an email confirmation from that agency (in theSupplementary Documents section).

Budgets submitted must include AT LEAST one person trip per year to the Washington D.C. area over the lifetime of theproject to represent the project at the annual INFEWS PI meeting. Budgeting for more than one PI meeting trip or travel by morethan one project participant is allowed.

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C. Due Dates

Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.m. submitter's local time):

March 06, 2017

D. FastLane/Grants.gov Requirements

For Proposals Submitted Via FastLane:

To prepare and submit a proposal via FastLane, see detailed technical instructions available at:https://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/a1/newstan.htm. For FastLane user support, call the FastLane Help Desk at 1-800-673-6188 or e-mail fastlane@nsf.gov. The FastLane Help Desk answers general technical questions related to theuse of the FastLane system. Specific questions related to this program solicitation should be referred to the NSFprogram staff contact(s) listed in Section VIII of this funding opportunity.

For Proposals Submitted Via Grants.gov:

Before using Grants.gov for the first time, each organization must register to create an institutional profile. Onceregistered, the applicant's organization can then apply for any federal grant on the Grants.gov website.Comprehensive information about using Grants.gov is available on the Grants.gov Applicant Resources webpage:http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants.html. In addition, the NSF Grants.gov Application Guide (see link inSection V.A) provides instructions regarding the technical preparation of proposals via Grants.gov. For Grants.govuser support, contact the Grants.gov Contact Center at 1-800-518-4726 or by email: support@grants.gov. TheGrants.gov Contact Center answers general technical questions related to the use of Grants.gov. Specificquestions related to this program solicitation should be referred to the NSF program staff contact(s) listed inSection VIII of this solicitation.

Submitting the Proposal: Once all documents have been completed, the Authorized OrganizationalRepresentative (AOR) must submit the application to Grants.gov and verify the desired funding opportunity andagency to which the application is submitted. The AOR must then sign and submit the application to Grants.gov.The completed application will be transferred to the NSF FastLane system for further processing.

Proposers that submitted via FastLane are strongly encouraged to use FastLane to verify the status of their submission to NSF. Forproposers that submitted via Grants.gov, until an application has been received and validated by NSF, the Authorized OrganizationalRepresentative may check the status of an application on Grants.gov. After proposers have received an e-mail notification fromNSF, Research.gov should be used to check the status of an application.

VI. NSF PROPOSAL PROCESSING AND REVIEW PROCEDURES

Proposals received by NSF are assigned to the appropriate NSF program for acknowledgement and, if they meet NSF requirements,for review. All proposals are carefully reviewed by a scientist, engineer, or educator serving as an NSF Program Officer, and usuallyby three to ten other persons outside NSF either as ad hoc reviewers, panelists, or both, who are experts in the particular fieldsrepresented by the proposal. These reviewers are selected by Program Officers charged with oversight of the review process.Proposers are invited to suggest names of persons they believe are especially well qualified to review the proposal and/or personsthey would prefer not review the proposal. These suggestions may serve as one source in the reviewer selection process at theProgram Officer's discretion. Submission of such names, however, is optional. Care is taken to ensure that reviewers have noconflicts of interest with the proposal. In addition, Program Officers may obtain comments from site visits before recommending finalaction on proposals. Senior NSF staff further review recommendations for awards. A flowchart that depicts the entire NSF proposaland award process (and associated timeline) is included in the GPG as Exhibit III-1.

A comprehensive description of the Foundation's merit review process is available on the NSF website at:http://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/merit_review/.

Proposers should also be aware of core strategies that are essential to the fulfillment of NSF's mission, as articulated in Investing inScience, Engineering, and Education for the Nation's Future: NSF Strategic Plan for 2014-2018. These strategies are integrated inthe program planning and implementation process, of which proposal review is one part. NSF's mission is particularly well-implemented through the integration of research and education and broadening participation in NSF programs, projects, andactivities.

One of the strategic objectives in support of NSF's mission is to foster integration of research and education through the programs,projects, and activities it supports at academic and research institutions. These institutions must recruit, train, and prepare a diverseSTEM workforce to advance the frontiers of science and participate in the U.S. technology-based economy. NSF's contribution to thenational innovation ecosystem is to provide cutting-edge research under the guidance of the Nation's most creative scientists andengineers. NSF also supports development of a strong science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce byinvesting in building the knowledge that informs improvements in STEM teaching and learning.

NSF's mission calls for the broadening of opportunities and expanding participation of groups, institutions, and geographic regionsthat are underrepresented in STEM disciplines, which is essential to the health and vitality of science and engineering. NSF iscommitted to this principle of diversity and deems it central to the programs, projects, and activities it considers and supports.

A. Merit Review Principles and Criteria

The National Science Foundation strives to invest in a robust and diverse portfolio of projects that creates new knowledge andenables breakthroughs in understanding across all areas of science and engineering research and education. To identify which

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projects to support, NSF relies on a merit review process that incorporates consideration of both the technical aspects of a proposedproject and its potential to contribute more broadly to advancing NSF's mission "to promote the progress of science; to advance thenational health, prosperity, and welfare; to secure the national defense; and for other purposes." NSF makes every effort to conducta fair, competitive, transparent merit review process for the selection of projects.

1. Merit Review Principles

These principles are to be given due diligence by PIs and organizations when preparing proposals and managing projects, byreviewers when reading and evaluating proposals, and by NSF program staff when determining whether or not to recommendproposals for funding and while overseeing awards. Given that NSF is the primary federal agency charged with nurturing andsupporting excellence in basic research and education, the following three principles apply:

All NSF projects should be of the highest quality and have the potential to advance, if not transform, the frontiers ofknowledge.NSF projects, in the aggregate, should contribute more broadly to achieving societal goals. These "Broader Impacts" may beaccomplished through the research itself, through activities that are directly related to specific research projects, or throughactivities that are supported by, but are complementary to, the project. The project activities may be based on previouslyestablished and/or innovative methods and approaches, but in either case must be well justified.Meaningful assessment and evaluation of NSF funded projects should be based on appropriate metrics, keeping in mindthe likely correlation between the effect of broader impacts and the resources provided to implement projects. If the size ofthe activity is limited, evaluation of that activity in isolation is not likely to be meaningful. Thus, assessing the effectivenessof these activities may best be done at a higher, more aggregated, level than the individual project.

With respect to the third principle, even if assessment of Broader Impacts outcomes for particular projects is done at an aggregatedlevel, PIs are expected to be accountable for carrying out the activities described in the funded project. Thus, individual projectsshould include clearly stated goals, specific descriptions of the activities that the PI intends to do, and a plan in place to documentthe outputs of those activities.

These three merit review principles provide the basis for the merit review criteria, as well as a context within which the users of thecriteria can better understand their intent.

2. Merit Review Criteria

All NSF proposals are evaluated through use of the two National Science Board approved merit review criteria. In some instances,however, NSF will employ additional criteria as required to highlight the specific objectives of certain programs and activities.

The two merit review criteria are listed below. Both criteria are to be given full consideration during the review and decision-making processes; each criterion is necessary but neither, by itself, is sufficient. Therefore, proposers must fully address bothcriteria. (GPG Chapter II.C.2.d.i. contains additional information for use by proposers in development of the Project Descriptionsection of the proposal.) Reviewers are strongly encouraged to review the criteria, including GPG Chapter II.C.2.d.i., prior to thereview of a proposal.

When evaluating NSF proposals, reviewers will be asked to consider what the proposers want to do, why they want to do it, howthey plan to do it, how they will know if they succeed, and what benefits could accrue if the project is successful. These issues applyboth to the technical aspects of the proposal and the way in which the project may make broader contributions. To that end,reviewers will be asked to evaluate all proposals against two criteria:

Intellectual Merit: The Intellectual Merit criterion encompasses the potential to advance knowledge; andBroader Impacts: The Broader Impacts criterion encompasses the potential to benefit society and contribute to theachievement of specific, desired societal outcomes.

The following elements should be considered in the review for both criteria:

1. What is the potential for the proposed activity toa. Advance knowledge and understanding within its own field or across different fields (Intellectual Merit); andb. Benefit society or advance desired societal outcomes (Broader Impacts)?

2. To what extent do the proposed activities suggest and explore creative, original, or potentially transformative concepts?3. Is the plan for carrying out the proposed activities well-reasoned, well-organized, and based on a sound rationale? Does

the plan incorporate a mechanism to assess success?4. How well qualified is the individual, team, or organization to conduct the proposed activities?5. Are there adequate resources available to the PI (either at the home organization or through collaborations) to carry out the

proposed activities?

Broader impacts may be accomplished through the research itself, through the activities that are directly related to specific researchprojects, or through activities that are supported by, but are complementary to, the project. NSF values the advancement of scientificknowledge and activities that contribute to achievement of societally relevant outcomes. Such outcomes include, but are not limitedto: full participation of women, persons with disabilities, and underrepresented minorities in science, technology, engineering, andmathematics (STEM); improved STEM education and educator development at any level; increased public scientific literacy andpublic engagement with science and technology; improved well-being of individuals in society; development of a diverse, globallycompetitive STEM workforce; increased partnerships between academia, industry, and others; improved national security; increasedeconomic competitiveness of the United States; and enhanced infrastructure for research and education.

Proposers are reminded that reviewers will also be asked to review the Data Management Plan and the Postdoctoral ResearcherMentoring Plan, as appropriate.

Additional Solicitation Specific Review Criteria

In addition to the National Science Board merit review criteria, reviewers will be asked to apply the following program-specific criteriawhen reviewing INFEWS proposals.

Systems Approach: How well does the proposal incorporate and integrate across food, water, and energy systems? Are theproposed study systems appropriately defined?Interdisciplinary Integration: How well do the proposed research activities integrate across at least three or moreintellectually distinct disciplines that, in aggregate, represent scientific areas supported by three or more of the participatingNSF Directorates or two Directorates and USDA/NIFA. (USDA/NIFA may be invoked as a "discipline" if the research focusrepresents a topical area that is uniquely distinct from disciplines typically supported by NSF Directorates. See alsoFrequently Asked Questions (FAQ) at the end of the solicitation.Does the research team include sufficient expertise to carry out the interdisciplinary research?

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B. Review and Selection Process

Proposals submitted in response to this program solicitation will be reviewed by Ad hoc Review and/or Panel Review.

Reviewers will be asked to evaluate proposals using two National Science Board approved merit review criteria and, if applicable,additional program specific criteria. A summary rating and accompanying narrative will be completed and submitted by eachreviewer. The Program Officer assigned to manage the proposal's review will consider the advice of reviewers and will formulate arecommendation.

The program may implement a two-stage panel review process, depending on the number and breadth of proposals received.During a first review stage, groups of thematically similar proposals would undergo panel review. The program’s management teamwould consider the panels’ advice and, if warranted, select proposals to move on to a second stage of review. Proposals notselected for further consideration may be declined at this point.

After scientific, technical and programmatic review and consideration of appropriate factors, the NSF Program Officer recommends tothe cognizant Division Director whether the proposal should be declined or recommended for award. NSF strives to be able to tellapplicants whether their proposals have been declined or recommended for funding within six months. Large or particularly complexproposals or proposals from new awardees may require additional review and processing time. The time interval begins on thedeadline or target date, or receipt date, whichever is later. The interval ends when the Division Director acts upon the ProgramOfficer's recommendation.

After programmatic approval has been obtained, the proposals recommended for funding will be forwarded to the Division of Grantsand Agreements for review of business, financial, and policy implications. After an administrative review has occurred, Grants andAgreements Officers perform the processing and issuance of a grant or other agreement. Proposers are cautioned that only a Grantsand Agreements Officer may make commitments, obligations or awards on behalf of NSF or authorize the expenditure of funds. Nocommitment on the part of NSF should be inferred from technical or budgetary discussions with a NSF Program Officer. A PrincipalInvestigator or organization that makes financial or personnel commitments in the absence of a grant or cooperative agreementsigned by the NSF Grants and Agreements Officer does so at their own risk.

Once an award or declination decision has been made, Principal Investigators are provided feedback about their proposals. In allcases, reviews are treated as confidential documents. Verbatim copies of reviews, excluding the names of the reviewers or anyreviewer-identifying information, are sent to the Principal Investigator/Project Director by the Program Officer. In addition, theproposer will receive an explanation of the decision to award or decline funding.

USDA/NIFA

Applicants selected for funding by USDA/NIFA will be required to provide additional information in accordance with policies andprocedures of the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) program. Applications selected for funding by NIFA will beforwarded to the USDA/NIFA Awards Management Division for award processing in accordance with the USDA/NIFA procedures.

VII. AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

A. Notification of the Award

NSF: Notification of the award is made to the submitting organization by a Grants Officer in the Division of Grants and Agreements.Organizations whose proposals are declined will be advised as promptly as possible by the cognizant NSF Program administeringthe program. Verbatim copies of reviews, not including the identity of the reviewer, will be provided automatically to the PrincipalInvestigator. (See Section VI.B. for additional information on the review process).

USDA/NIFA

The award document will provide pertinent instructions and information including, at a minimum, the following:

1. Legal name and address of performing organization or institution to whom the Director has issued an award under theterms of this request for applications;

2. Title of project;3. Name(s) and institution(s) of PDs chosen to direct and control approved activities;4. Identifying award number assigned by the Department;5. Project period, specifying the amount of time the Department intends to support the project without requiring recompetition

for funds;6. Total amount of Departmental financial assistance approved by the Director during the project period;7. Legal authority (ies) under which the award is issued;8. Appropriate Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number;9. Applicable award terms and conditions (see http://www.nifa.usda.gov/business/awards/awardterms.html to view NIFA award

terms and conditions);10. Approved budget plan for categorizing allocable project funds to accomplish the stated purpose of the award; and11. Other information or provisions deemed necessary by NIFA to carry out its respective awarding activities or to accomplish

the purpose of a particular award.

B. Award Conditions

An NSF award consists of: (1) the award notice, which includes any special provisions applicable to the award and any numberedamendments thereto; (2) the budget, which indicates the amounts, by categories of expense, on which NSF has based its support(or otherwise communicates any specific approvals or disapprovals of proposed expenditures); (3) the proposal referenced in theaward notice; (4) the applicable award conditions, such as Grant General Conditions (GC-1)*; or Research Terms and Conditions*and (5) any announcement or other NSF issuance that may be incorporated by reference in the award notice. Cooperative

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agreements also are administered in accordance with NSF Cooperative Agreement Financial and Administrative Terms andConditions (CA-FATC) and the applicable Programmatic Terms and Conditions. NSF awards are electronically signed by an NSFGrants and Agreements Officer and transmitted electronically to the organization via e-mail.

*These documents may be accessed electronically on NSF's Website at http://www.nsf.gov/awards/managing/award_conditions.jsp?org=NSF. Paper copies may be obtained from the NSF Publications Clearinghouse, telephone (703) 292-7827 or by e-mail fromnsfpubs@nsf.gov.

More comprehensive information on NSF Award Conditions and other important information on the administration of NSF awards iscontained in the NSF Award & Administration Guide (AAG) Chapter II, available electronically on the NSF Website athttp://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=aag.

Special Award Conditions:

Awardees may be required to participate in program-level evaluation by which NSF can assess implementation processes andprogress toward outcomes overall. NSF or a NSF contractor on behalf of NSF, may periodically conduct program evaluations orspecial projects that necessitate access to project level staff and data. This may occur at any time during the grant period and couldoccur after the grant has ended. Project-level participation includes limited burden--responding to inquiries, interviews and othermethods of common data collection and/or aggregation across individual grants. In addition, PIs may be asked to assist indeveloping a program evaluation that will mutually benefit the agency and program participants.

USDA/NIFA

Awards issued as a result of this RFA will have designated the Automated Standard Applications for Payment System (ASAP),operated by the Department of Treasury’s Bureau of the Fiscal Service, as the payment system for funds. For more information seehttps://www.fiscal.treasury.gov/fsservices/gov/pmt/asap/asap_home.htm..

Several federal statutes and regulations apply to grant applications considered for review and to project grants awarded under thisprogram. These may include, but are not limited to, the ones listed on the NIFA web page - http://nifa.usda.gov/federal-regulations.

NIFA Federal Assistance Policy Guide—a compendium of basic NIFA policies and procedures that apply to all NIFA awards, unlessthere are statutory, regulatory, or award-specific requirements to the contrary is available at http://nifa.usda.gov/policy-guide.

Other Requirements

USDA/NIFA:

1. Delegation of Fiscal Responsibility

Unless the terms and conditions of the award state otherwise, awardees may not in whole or in part delegate or transfer toanother person, institution, or organization the responsibility for use or expenditure of award funds.

2. Changes in Budget or Project PlansIn accordance with 2 CFR 200.308, awardees must request prior approval from NIFA for the following program or budget-related reasons:

i. Change in the scope or the objective of the project or program (even if there is no associated budget revisionrequiring prior written approval).

ii. Change in a key person specified in the application or the federal award.iii. The disengagement from the project for more than three months, or a 25 percent reduction in time devoted to the

project, by the approved project director or principal investigator.iv. The inclusion, unless waived by the federal awarding agency, of costs that require prior approval in accordance

with 2 CFR 200 Subpart E—Cost Principles of this part or 45 CFR Part 75 Appendix IX, “Principles forDetermining Costs Applicable to Research and Development under Awards and Contracts with Hospitals,” or 48CFR Part 31, “Contract Cost Principles and Procedures,” as applicable.

v. The transfer of funds budgeted for participant support costs as defined in §200.75 Participant support costs toother categories of expense.

vi. Unless described in the application and funded in the approved federal awards, the subawarding, transferring orcontracting out of any work under a federal award, including fixed amount subawards as described in §200.332Fixed amount subawards. This provision does not apply to the acquisition of supplies, material, equipment, orgeneral support services.

vii. Changes in the approved cost-sharing or matching provided by the non-federal entity.viii. The need arises for additional federal funds to complete the project.

The awardee will be subject to the terms and conditions identified in the award. Seehttp://www.nifa.usda.gov/business/awards/awardterms.html for information about NIFA award terms

Changes in Approved Budget: Changes in an approved budget must be requested by the grantee and approved in writing by theADO prior to instituting such changes if the revision will involve transfers or expenditures of amounts requiring prior approval as setforth in the applicable Federal cost principles, Departmental regulations, or grant award.

C. Reporting Requirements

For all multi-year grants (including both standard and continuing grants), the Principal Investigator must submit an annual projectreport to the cognizant Program Officer no later than 90 days prior to the end of the current budget period. (Some programs orawards require submission of more frequent project reports). No later than 120 days following expiration of a grant, the PI also isrequired to submit a final project report, and a project outcomes report for the general public.

Failure to provide the required annual or final project reports, or the project outcomes report, will delay NSF review and processing ofany future funding increments as well as any pending proposals for all identified PIs and co-PIs on a given award. PIs shouldexamine the formats of the required reports in advance to assure availability of required data.

PIs are required to use NSF's electronic project-reporting system, available through Research.gov, for preparation and submission ofannual and final project reports. Such reports provide information on accomplishments, project participants (individual andorganizational), publications, and other specific products and impacts of the project. Submission of the report via Research.govconstitutes certification by the PI that the contents of the report are accurate and complete. The project outcomes report also must

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be prepared and submitted using Research.gov. This report serves as a brief summary, prepared specifically for the public, of thenature and outcomes of the project. This report will be posted on the NSF website exactly as it is submitted by the PI.

More comprehensive information on NSF Reporting Requirements and other important information on the administration of NSFawards is contained in the NSF Award & Administration Guide (AAG) Chapter II, available electronically on the NSF Website athttp://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=aag.

USDA/NIFA:

The output and reporting requirements are included in the award terms and conditions (seehttp://www.nifa.usda.gov/business/awards/awardterms.html for information about NIFA award terms). If there are any program oraward-specific award terms, those, if any, will be identified in the award.

Additional Reporting Requirements

For awards funded by NSF, PIs will be required to include descriptions of their project milestones and their datamanagement activities in their annual reports. Data reporting should conform to current NSF data policy guidelines; PIsshould consult with the PAPPG.For awards funded by USDA/NIFA, reporting requirements for awards funded will conform to those specified byUSDA/NIFA.For projects that are funded by NSF and USDA/NIFA, the annual report of the lead project in the collaborative must beresident at NSF and must include a description of the activities and milestones of the parts of the project that are funded bythe other agencies.When a project is funded by both agencies, the NSF-lead institutions should submit a unified annual report and theUSDA/NIFA funded portion of the project should include the NSF-unified annual report as part of its USDA/NIFA annualreport (see also FAQ).

VIII. AGENCY CONTACTS

Please note that the program contact information is current at the time of publishing. See program website for any updates to thepoints of contact.

General inquiries regarding this program should be made to:

Thomas Torgersen, Co-Chair, Directorate for Geosciences, telephone: 703-292-4738, email: ttorgers@nsf.gov

David Corman, Directorate for Computer & Information Science & Engineering, telephone: 703-292-8754, email:dcorman@nsf.gov

Robert O'Connor, Directorate for Social, Behavioral & Economic Sciences, telephone: 703-292-7263, email:roconnor@nsf.gov

James W. Jones, Directorate for Engineering, telephone: (703) 292-4458, email: jwjones@nsf.gov

Anne-Marie Schmoltner, Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences, telephone: (703) 292-4716, email:aschmolt@nsf.gov

Lara Campbell, Office of International Science and Engineering, telephone: 703-292-7049, email: lcampbel@nsf.gov

Leah Nichols, Office of Integrative Activities, telephone: (703) 292-2983, email: lenichol@nsf.gov

Rachel Melnick, USDA/NIFA, telephone: 202-401-4980, email: rmelnick@nifa.usda.gov

For questions related to the use of FastLane, contact:

FastLane Help Desk, telephone: 1-800-673-6188; e-mail: fastlane@nsf.gov.

For questions relating to Grants.gov contact:

Grants.gov Contact Center: If the Authorized Organizational Representatives (AOR) has not received a confirmationmessage from Grants.gov within 48 hours of submission of application, please contact via telephone: 1-800-518-4726; e-mail: support@grants.gov.

All questions regarding proposal submissions should be directed to INFEWSquestions@NSF.GOV

IX. OTHER INFORMATION

The NSF website provides the most comprehensive source of information on NSF Directorates (including contact information),programs and funding opportunities. Use of this website by potential proposers is strongly encouraged. In addition, "NSF Update" isan information-delivery system designed to keep potential proposers and other interested parties apprised of new NSF fundingopportunities and publications, important changes in proposal and award policies and procedures, and upcoming NSF GrantsConferences. Subscribers are informed through e-mail or the user's Web browser each time new publications are issued that matchtheir identified interests. "NSF Update" also is available on NSF's website.

Grants.gov provides an additional electronic capability to search for Federal government-wide grant opportunities. NSF fundingopportunities may be accessed via this mechanism. Further information on Grants.gov may be obtained at http://www.grants.gov.

USDA-NIFA requires a Felony Convictions or Tax Delinquent Status certification. Additional information will beprovided prior to award if selected for funding.

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Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research: For information about the Responsible and Ethical Conduct ofResearch, see http://nifa.usda.gov/responsible-and-ethical-conduct-research.

The USDA-NIFA authority for this solicitation is contained in section 2(b) of the Competitive, Special, and FacilitiesResearch Grant Act (7 U.S.C. 450i(b)), of the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI). AFRI authorizes theSecretary of Agriculture to award competitive grants for fundamental and applied research, extension, andeducation to address food and agricultural sciences. AFRI awards are subject to the NIFA regulations found at 7CFR Part 3430. NIFA’s authority to participate in the issuance of a joint RFA is 7 U.S.C. § 3319b.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent Federal agency created by the National Science Foundation Act of 1950,as amended (42 USC 1861-75). The Act states the purpose of the NSF is "to promote the progress of science; [and] to advance thenational health, prosperity, and welfare by supporting research and education in all fields of science and engineering."

NSF funds research and education in most fields of science and engineering. It does this through grants and cooperative agreementsto more than 2,000 colleges, universities, K-12 school systems, businesses, informal science organizations and other researchorganizations throughout the US. The Foundation accounts for about one-fourth of Federal support to academic institutions for basicresearch.

NSF receives approximately 55,000 proposals each year for research, education and training projects, of which approximately11,000 are funded. In addition, the Foundation receives several thousand applications for graduate and postdoctoral fellowships. Theagency operates no laboratories itself but does support National Research Centers, user facilities, certain oceanographic vesselsand Arctic and Antarctic research stations. The Foundation also supports cooperative research between universities and industry, USparticipation in international scientific and engineering efforts, and educational activities at every academic level.

Facilitation Awards for Scientists and Engineers with Disabilities provide funding for special assistance or equipment to enablepersons with disabilities to work on NSF-supported projects. See Grant Proposal Guide Chapter II, Section D.2 for instructionsregarding preparation of these types of proposals.

The National Science Foundation has Telephonic Device for the Deaf (TDD) and Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS)capabilities that enable individuals with hearing impairments to communicate with the Foundation about NSF programs, employmentor general information. TDD may be accessed at (703) 292-5090 and (800) 281-8749, FIRS at (800) 877-8339.

The National Science Foundation Information Center may be reached at (703) 292-5111.

About the National Institute of Food and Agriculture

The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is an agency within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), part of theexecutive branch of the Federal Government. Congress created NIFA through the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008.NIFA replaced the former Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES), which had been in existencesince 1994. NIFA's unique mission is to advance knowledge for agriculture, the environment, human health and well-being, andcommunities by supporting research, education, and extension programs in the Land-Grant University System and other partnerorganizations. NIFA doesn't perform actual research, education, and extension but rather helps fund it at the state and local level andprovides program leadership in these areas. Through grants offered by NIFA, the USDA enables researchers throughout the UnitedStates to solve problems critical to our farmers, consumers, and communities. NIFA is the USDA's major extramural researchagency, funding individuals, institutions, and public, private, and non-profit organizations. NIFA's education programs supports andpromotes teaching excellence, enhances academic quality, and develops tomorrow's scientific and professional workforce. Incooperation with public institutions, private sector partners, and the Land-Grant University System, NIFA provides nationalleadership to address critical educational issues. NIFA's extension projects deliver science-based knowledge and informaleducational programs to people, enabling them to make practical decisions.

NIFA Web site:

http://www.nifa.usda.gov/ Phone: (202) 720-4423

Street Address:

National Institute of Food and AgricultureWaterfront Centre800 9th St. SW., Washington, DC 20024

Mailing Address:

United States Department of AgricultureNational Institute of Food and Agriculture1400 Independence Avenue SW., Stop 2201Washington, DC 20250-2201

The National Science Foundation promotes and advances scientific progress in the United States by competitively awardinggrants and cooperative agreements for research and education in the sciences, mathematics, and engineering.

To get the latest information about program deadlines, to download copies of NSF publications, and to access abstracts ofawards, visit the NSF Website at http://www.nsf.gov

Location: 4201 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA 22230

For General Information(NSF Information Center):

(703) 292-5111

TDD (for the hearing-impaired): (703) 292-5090

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To Order Publications or Forms:

Send an e-mail to: nsfpubs@nsf.gov

or telephone: (703) 292-7827

To Locate NSF Employees: (703) 292-5111

PRIVACY ACT AND PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENTS

The information requested on proposal forms and project reports is solicited under the authority of the National Science FoundationAct of 1950, as amended. The information on proposal forms will be used in connection with the selection of qualified proposals;and project reports submitted by awardees will be used for program evaluation and reporting within the Executive Branch and toCongress. The information requested may be disclosed to qualified reviewers and staff assistants as part of the proposal reviewprocess; to proposer institutions/grantees to provide or obtain data regarding the proposal review process, award decisions, or theadministration of awards; to government contractors, experts, volunteers and researchers and educators as necessary to completeassigned work; to other government agencies or other entities needing information regarding applicants or nominees as part of ajoint application review process, or in order to coordinate programs or policy; and to another Federal agency, court, or party in acourt or Federal administrative proceeding if the government is a party. Information about Principal Investigators may be added tothe Reviewer file and used to select potential candidates to serve as peer reviewers or advisory committee members. See Systemsof Records, NSF-50, "Principal Investigator/Proposal File and Associated Records," 69 Federal Register 26410 (May 12, 2004), andNSF-51, "Reviewer/Proposal File and Associated Records," 69 Federal Register 26410 (May 12, 2004). Submission of theinformation is voluntary. Failure to provide full and complete information, however, may reduce the possibility of receiving an award.

An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, an information collection unless it displays avalid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number. The OMB control number for this collection is 3145-0058. Publicreporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 120 hours per response, including the time for reviewinginstructions. Send comments regarding the burden estimate and any other aspect of this collection of information, includingsuggestions for reducing this burden, to:

Suzanne H. PlimptonReports Clearance OfficerOffice of the General CounselNational Science FoundationArlington, VA 22230

X. APPENDIX

INFEWS Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

About Disciplinary Requirements

1. What is meant by interdisciplinary INFEWS research?

Proposals are expected to document that the proposed research is truly interdisciplinary and that the respective componentsare fully integrated and of high relevance for the successful execution of the proposed project. Plans for integration of therespective research components must be clearly described in the proposal and reinforced within the management plan. Inorder to ensure a sufficiently broad interdisciplinary approach, INFEWS proposals must integrate and engage thedisciplinary science from three or more intellectually distinct disciplines that represent scientific areas typicallysupported by three or more of the participating NSF directorates (CISE, ENG, GEO, MPS, SBE) or two (or more)directorates and USDA/NIFA. (USDA/NIFA may be invoked as a "discipline" if the research focus represents a topical areathat is uniquely distinct from disciplines typically supported by participating NSF Directorates (CISE, ENG, GEO, MPS,SBE). The FEW Context Statement should carefully elaborate the specific disciplines as well as the relevantdifferences between NSF and USDA/NIFA "discipline". See also Frequently Asked Questions at the end of thesolicitation. The scope of the project problem must include important and governing components of the FEW system understudy and not just a token three components that satisfy the “three disciplines” rule. Proposals that investigate integratedcomponents of two of the three areas, while treating the third as Broader Impact will not review well, and in some cases,may be returned without review. Successful proposals will define appropriate feedback mechanisms and dynamics amongthe FEW systems components to be studied. Proposals should also identify how the research will account for exogenousinputs to the systems, where relevant. Proposals should justify their approach. The FEW Context Statement (see below)should carefully elaborate on the specific differences between an NSF and USDA/NIFA “discipline”.

2. My proposal encompasses agricultural research that is relevant to USDA/NIFA. Can I use USDA/NIFA supportedresearch to satisfy the interdisciplinary requirement?

Yes; research supported by USDA/NIFA can count as one of the three required disciplines. However, it is important thateach of the disciplines included in the proposal are distinctly different. For example, if you are focusing on agriculturalengineering research, then you can consider the ENG Directorate as one of the disciplines and then you will need toincorporate research from at least two other directorates (i.e., CISE, GEO, MPS, SBE, USDA/NIFA). You would not be ableto count agricultural engineering as both an ENG discipline and a NIFA discipline. Additionally, because the BIO Directorateis not a participant in this solicitation, all “biological” disciplinarity must be satisfied by use of an appropriate USDA/NIFAprogrammatic area (see list https://nifa.usda.gov/resource/frequently-asked-questions-nsfusda-nifa-joint-solicitation-innovations-nexus-food-energy).

3. To cover the disciplinary requirements, can I include more than three disciplines in my proposal?

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Yes. You may include as many disciplines as needed to address the key science questions posed by your FEW systemsresearch project. At a minimum, the research needs to reflect scientific areas that are unique to at least three participatingNSF Directorates or two Directorates and one USDA/NIFA science. You may also incorporate science from other disciplinesnot supported by the participating directorates, as long as it is the “fourth” discipline.

4. If the research and methodologies described in my proposal integrate three very different intellectual fields thatare classified under one or two NSF Directorates, can this still satisfy the disciplinary requirements?

No. You need to incorporate three distinct disciplines that fall under the scope of three different Directorates (i.e. CISE,ENG, GEO, MPS, SBE) (or two directorates and USDA/NIFA as explained above) to ensure compliance with the solicitationrequirements.

For example, if your proposed research includes ethnographic methods (by a cultural anthropologist), game theoretic work(from an economist), algorithms (by a computer scientist), and policy analysis across different third-world countries (by apolitical scientist), it would be considered under the purview of two NSF Directorates: CISE (computer science) and SBE(economics, cultural anthropology, and political science). To satisfy the disciplinary requirements, a third discipline that fallsunder the scope of another Directorate (i.e. ENG, GEO, and MPS) must be integrated into the proposed research.

5. My proposal includes a significant educational component. Can I count this as one of the three disciplines neededto satisfy the interdisciplinary requirement?

The Directorate of Education and Human Resources (EHR) is not participating in this solicitation and thus cannot be usedto satisfy one of the “three disciplines”.

6. I see the Office of International Science and Engineering is participating in this solicitation. Can I count theinternational component of my proposal as one of the three disciplines needed to satisfy the interdisciplinaryrequirement?

No. While the Office of International Science and Engineering and the Office of Integrative Activities are participating in thissolicitation, these offices are not research directorates. Proposals that address the interests of these offices are welcome,but such components cannot be counted as one of the three scientific disciplines needed to satisfy the interdisciplinaryrequirement.

7. What is the preferred contribution level that should be provided by each project participant/discipline?

There are no specific requirements for the relative distribution of disciplinary expertise yet each component should beincluded at a level commensurate with the problem scope. However, the disciplinary science should be significant and ofhigh relevance to the FEW systems under study and should not appear as token participation. Each discipline must be anactive and integrated aspect of the project. For example, a simple switch of crop-for-food vs crop-as-biofuels may notrepresent well the controlling components of the system. For biofuels, a significant economic and production constraint islocation of the crop relative to the biofuels production facility. This controls economic feasibility and farmer choice.

The project team should be developed in accordance with the specific project objectives. Strong and well-definedinterdisciplinary integration are an important element of the INFEWS program. The appropriateness of the research team’sdisciplinary composition and expertise will be factors in the merit review of the proposals. See Additional Review CriteriaSection for more information.

About the Scope of Research

1. I noticed that throughout the solicitation, FEW systems are described in plural (i.e. systems versus system). Doesthis mean my project must study more than one system or can I focus on a single system?

The solicitation is written using “systems” as a plural noun because all proposals submitted to the INFEWS program mustoutline plans to examine the intersections of food and energy and water systems. It is important to define the specificsystems as well as the system of systems that will be addressed by the project and why it is important in the understandingof FEW systems operations and complexity.

2. Can my FEW systems research be place-based, location-specific, or context-dependent or must it have morecomprehensive applications?

The generalizability of models and results is an important consideration of the INFEWS program. While studies of theinteractions among food and energy and water systems in a single location are within the scope of the solicitation,proposals should articulate how the results and outcomes of such a project will be applicable or generalizable in a muchbroader context.

3. Should proposals be focused exclusively on FEW systems or can proposals investigate more comprehensivetopics, like Sustainable Development, where FEW systems might represent a sub-focus that is critical to theproject’s success?

For this solicitation, proposals must focus on food and energy and water systems. Sustainability research could qualify if it ismulti-disciplinary (i.e. it includes three or more scientific disciplines as stated in the solicitation) and is targeted towards thecomplex role of FEW systems in a broader context.

4. I would like to study the health dimensions of FEW systems. Is this feasible under the INFEWS program?

You will need to make sure that the project meets NSF requirements. For example, the NSF supports research thatexamines the social, behavioral, and/or physical and engineering dimensions of systems that cause adverse healthoutcomes. However, medical or clinical research cannot be supported by NSF and thus “health” cannot be specificallyidentified as one of the three requisite “distinct disciplines”. INFEWS could support a project that includes a sociologist or anepidemiologist who plans to quantify adverse health outcomes of people within a FEW system or systems. Similarly,INFEWS could support a project that incorporates plans to examine the hydrological, ecological, or behavioral processesthat spread pathogens or other contaminants (e.g. chemicals, nanoparticles, microplastics) within FEW systems. However,a project that includes plans to examine specific disease processes or clinical investigations will not be supported. SeePAPPG for further guidance.

5. I want to use FEW systems modeling (Track 1) to explore an innovative systems solution (Track 3). How should Idecide whether to submit to Track 1 or to Track 3?

Intellectually and with respect to the FEW Nexus, there is a degree of overlap across the various tracks. This is the nature

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of the problem. The best approach is to review the solicitation carefully and determine which track is the most appropriate fitfor your research; i.e., the track that applies to the project's more impactful science. It is specifically necessary to identifythe track (in the title and justified elsewhere) for which the proposal is most competitive. Please note that proposals cannotbe submitted to more than one track.

6. Is Track 3 limited to research on new and innovative solutions or is it possible to develop advances that buildupon existing approaches and technologies?

Track 3 proposals may lead to advances in existing systems, develop new solutions, or explore alternative or novelapplications for the current state-of-the-art. It is important that Track 3 proposals adopt a systems approach thatincorporates foundational or transformative research related to at least three disciplines. In preparing your proposal, bear inmind that it will be reviewed using NSF’s intellectual merit review criteria. Therefore, proposals must advance knowledge(element 1) and should be creative, original, and/or potentially transformative (element 2). While Track 3 proposals maycertainly develop or use approaches that build upon existing methods, strategies, and/or technologies, proposals shouldclearly demonstrate how the project is novel and will advance knowledge.

7. If a project that explores social, behavioral, or economic solutions and/or linkages among food and energy andwater systems, does it meet the requirements of this solicitation?

INFEWS defines FEW systems very broadly, incorporating physical processes (such as built infrastructure and newtechnologies for more efficient resource utilization), natural processes (such as biogeochemical and hydrologic cycles),biological processes (such as agroecosystem structure and productivity), and social and behavioral processes (such asdecision making and governance), and cyber-elements. Therefore, proposals that examine social, behavioral, or economicsolutions and/or linkages among FEW systems are encouraged – as long as the projects sufficiently integrate acrossmultiple disciplines (see solicitation for interdisciplinary requirements) and appropriately explore linkages across the variousdisciplinary dimensions.

8. I am interested in proposing advanced cyberinfrastructure enabling research in Food and Energy, and Water. Canyou provide insights into the cyberinfrastructure emphasis in the solicitation?

The emphasis should be upon extending existing, shared cyberinfrastructure resources (at the campus, regional, or nationallevel) to specifically address the cyberinfrastructure challenges identified by the proposed INFEWS project and the FEWnexus problem. The proposal must emphasize innovative infrastructure, and would utilize expertise in the cyberinfrastructurecommunity (e.g., existing computing centers, Major Research Instrumentation awards, cloud use). The project must also beconnected to the community/ideas/needs of the FEW problem, and should enhance integration across FEWs domains.Funding support may include O&M (operations and maintenance) as well as advanced computational equipment, and theequipment may include computing hardware, cloud capabilities, or some combination of hardware and tools.

The resulting infrastructure will not be merely an upgrade or testbed. The project is expected to provide newcyberinfrastructure configurations and new cyberinfrastructure capabilities that address key cyberinfrastructure challengesand enhance integration across the FEW community.

Successful proposals where advanced cyberinfrastructure is the focus must assess the performance and strategic potentialof the new cyberinfrastructure, as well as its ability to enable INFEWS research advances.

9. The solicitation provides guidance on leveraging existing investments. Does this mean I have to use previouslypublished or publicly available data?

Given the funds that will be available to any one project (not more than $2,500,000), leveraging your project plan offexisting data sources will advantage the scope and breadth of the research that can be undertaken. Multiple agencies anduniversities have established data collection and measurement programs that provide a significant background ofinformation to many potential FEW systems studies. Your project should use such relevant data sources and propose themeasurement and collection of new data only if they are critical the FEW system under study.

10. What project duration is allowable for project submitted under this solicitation?

For projects submitted under this solicitation, 3-5year durations are the most likely although shorter duration projects mayin some cases be viable. In all cases the project duration should be consistent with the scope of work.

About the Team

1. Is there a limit to how large my team can be? Likewise, is there a minimum size?

The team size depends on the overall scope of the project, in addition to the project’s budgetary and practical constraints.There are no specific limits on the minimum or maximum number of participants yet there is a difference between projectsthat are allowable and projects that are highly competitive.

2. How many proposal submissions can I be on? For example, is it feasible to serve as the PI on one proposal, a co-PI on a second proposal, and an unpaid consultant on a third proposal?

For this solicitation, the maximum number of proposals that any individual can serve on is TWO per competition (thissolicitation). Additionally, an individual may be PI, coPI, Senior Personnel, or Consultant on no more than two proposals percompetition (this solicitation) and no more than 1 proposal per track. This limitation includes proposals submitted by a leadorganization or any subaward submitted as part of a proposal.

3. I am a researcher at a Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) (or a federal agency). May Isubmit a proposal or serve as a co-PI?

To be eligible for NSF funding or co-funding, you can only participate on a proposal only as part of a sub-award or via aletter of collaboration. If you submit a proposal as a PI, you are only eligible for the portion of funding that USDA/NIFA iscontributing.

4. Are PIs from the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), an NSF-sponsored FFRDC, permitted tosubmit proposals to INFEWS?

NCAR scientists are not permitted to submit proposals to INFEWS. NCAR participation can only be as a subaward (or via aletter of collaboration) and is subject to two conditions: (1) NCAR’s participation must be consistent with the NCAR mission,(2) NCAR’s participation is expected to be in partnership with non-FFRDC organizations with NCAR participation as asubaward. As an NSF-sponsored FFRDC, the letter of NSF commitment is not required.

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5. Can an INFEWS project involve international research and/or involve international collaborators?

INFEWS projects can involve international research. The challenges and complexities of FEW systems are global, thereforeinternational collaborations are encouraged where appropriate. International collaborators, however, must seek support fromtheir respective funding organizations, and not NSF. Funding guidelines for involving international collaborators (seeBudgetary Information section of the INFEWS solicitation) allow only the following expenses to be included in the NSFbudget: 1) Travel expenses for U.S. scientists and students participating in exchange visits integral to the project; 2) Limitedproject-related expenses for international partners to engage in research activities while in the United States as projectparticipants; 3) costs for specific services provided by an international partner that are essential to the success of theproject and cannot be provided by a U.S. person or institution; and 4) project-related expenses for U.S. participants toengage in research activities while abroad.

6. Are there opportunities for private sector participation in this solicitation?

Private sector businesses or individuals can participate as subawardees or consultants on projects; they cannot serve asthe lead organization.

7. I would like to include undergraduate students in my project. How do I incorporate a Research Experiences forUndergraduates (REU) experience within my proposal?

Incorporation of an REU experience within a proposal is an effective mechanism to integrate undergraduate educationalactivities into a research project. The Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) solicitation (NSF 13-542) notes thatsupport for undergraduate students involved in carrying out research under NSF awards should be included as part of theresearch proposal itself instead of as a post-award supplement to the research proposal. Please consult the REUsolicitation for further details.

8. I would like to propose work with an international collaborator. Can I include funds for my international partner inmy NSF budget?

If your international collaborator is based at an institution in a country listed at[https://www.nsf.gov/od/oise/INFEWS/the_international_partnerships.jsp] s/he can request funds from her/his own fundingagency(s) as described at [https://www.nsf.gov/od/oise/INFEWS/the_international_partnerships.jsp]. The US funding limit is$2.5M and the funding limits for the work supported by the international partner(s) is described at[https://www.nsf.gov/od/oise/INFEWS/the_international_partnerships.jsp]. The proposal should describe the work that theentire team, US and international, will accomplish together. The budget request to the international partner should beprovided as a supplementary document.

If your international collaborator is not from a country listed at[https://www.nsf.gov/od/oise/INFEWS/the_international_partnerships.jsp] s/he should request funding support, separatelyfrom this solicitation, from his/her own domestic funding agency or potentially through the US Agency for InternationalDevelopment’s Partnerships for Enhanced Engagement in Research (PEER) program, managed by the National Academiesof Science: www.nationalacademies.org/peer.

If your international collaborator does not have a source of research funds, the NSF proposal may include limited funds forservices that are essential to the success of the research project, only if those services could not be provided by a US-based person or institution. “Limited” is not specifically defined, but remember that NSF is not an aid agency and yourproposal will be reviewed in competition with entirely domestic proposals.

There is also anticipated to be a completely separate call for proposals on global urbanization and the food, energy, waternexus under the Belmont Forum in 2017 (https://belmontforum.org/) to which you and your international collaborators maybe able to apply.

About the Submission Process

1. This seems to be a very complicated solicitation with many required parts and pieces. Is there a checklist toensure I have submitted all the necessary parts?

The checklist for submission of proposals is given below and discussed in detail under “Proposal Preparation Instructions”given above.

Full INFEWS Proposal Checklist

1. Cover Sheet (see PAPPG)2. Project summary (See PAPPG)3. Project Description (See PAPPG – Note change : “Results from Prior Research” is NOT included in the 15 page

limit for this solicitation).4. References Cited (See PAPPG)5. Biographical Sketch(es) (See PAPPG. Please load them in the order the names appear in the Project

Personnel Table).6. Proposal Budget (See PAPPG. Please note that all proposal MUST comply with NSF policy at the due date). Note

also that Budgets submitted must include AT LEAST one person trip per year to the Washington DC. area over thelifetime of the project to represent the project at the annual INFEWS PI meeting. Budget for more than one PImeeting trip or travel by more than one project participant is allowed.

7. Current and Pending Support (for all PIs, Co-PIs, and Senior Personnel – See PAPPG)8. Facilities, Equipment, and Other Resources (See PAPPG)9. Supplementary Documents

Data Management Plan (See PAPPG)Postdoctoral Researcher Mentoring Plan (if applicable – see PAPPG)

10. Other Supplementary Docs (in the order each part should appear)A. Project Personnel Table (addition for this solicitation)B. Results of Prior Research (Previously this was in the Project Description – it has been moved to this

section for this solicitation only)C. Management Plan (addition for this solicitation)D. Letters of CollaborationE. FEW Context Statement

11. Single Copy Documents (1 separate PDF files)Collaborators and Other Affiliations Matrix – (addition for this solicitation, and replaces “Collaborators and Other

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Affiliations Information" Sections of the PAPPG).2. I see a deadline for submission is indicated in this solicitation. Does this deadline mean I can submit to any of the

three tracks up until 5 pm (local time) on that date?

You are only able to submit proposals up to the deadline. Please note that proposals cannot be submitted after thedeadline and participation of an individual is limited to a maximum of two proposals. Submitting the proposal early isstrongly encouraged to ensure that you meet the deadline.

3. Can I submit the same proposal to INFEWS and other programs or solicitations?

NSF prohibits PIs from submitting the same proposal to more than one program or solicitation. Please be aware thatsubmission of duplicate or substantially similar proposals concurrently for review by more than one program without priorNSF approval will result in the return of the redundant proposals.

4. I live in an EPSCoR jurisdiction and I noticed that there was a recent solicitation for the Research InfrastructureImprovement (RII) Track-2 Focused EPSCoR Collaborations (FEC) programs that encourages INFEWS research.Can I submit an identical proposal on this topic to EPSCoR and to INFEWS?

NSF prohibits PIs from submitting the same proposal to more than one program or solicitation. You will need to decidewhich solicitation is more aligned with your research interests and collaboration plans. Please check the EPSCoR website todetermine RII Track-2 eligibility requirements.

5. Can I obtain a waiver of the page limitation for the project description if my project is large and complex, or if myproject is a large collaboration among multiple institutions?

No, all proposals must adhere to the page limit given in the solicitation. Note that “Results from Prior Research” has beenmoved to “Supplementary Documents” for this solicitation.

6. Do all proposals require a Data Management Plan? Do all proposals require a Management Plan as well?

Yes, both types of plans are required in the Supplementary Documents section of all INFEWS proposals. The proposalmust include a section that describes data and model sharing plans (Data Management Plan). Please note that thesupplemental documents should not repeat the information in the body of the proposal, but provide concise information asdefined in the NSF Grant Proposal Guide and in the Proposal Preparation Instructions section of the INFEWS solicitation. Ifyou anticipate that your proposed project would not generate data or samples that require management and/or sharing,please state that in your Data Management Plan. Please note that this statement will be subject to merit review. In theSupplementary Documents section, the proposal must also include a Management Plan, which is also described in theProposal Preparation Instructions section of the INFEWS solicitation. The Management Plan differs significantly from theData Management Plan, as discussed in the solicitation. The quality and appropriateness of the Management andIntegration Plan is an important review criterion for INFEWS proposals as outlined in the NSF Merit Review Criteria sectionof the solicitation. The proposal preparation instructions also provide information on the preparation of the “ContextStatement” to also be included in “Supplementary Documents” as well as the Conflict of Interest (COI) Matrix and theProject Personnel Table (PIs, Co-PIs, senior personnel, consultants).

7. The solicitation requires a COI Matrix of collaborators and individuals with conflicts of interest, and a spreadsheetthat lists participating project personnel. These seem redundant. Why are they all necessary?

You are correct in noticing that there is some overlap among these lists; however, they are used for different purposes.These tables should be created as a spreadsheet and submitted as two character recognizable PDF files within"Supplementary Documents”.

8. How do we fill out the spreadsheet listing project personnel?

You will notice that the “List of Participating Individuals” overlaps with the COI Matrix Table. Both should be created as aspreadsheet according to the instructions provided in the solicitation and be submitted as separate pdf files withinSupplementary Documents.

9. What other resources can I read for more information regarding NSF and USDA’s involvement in this initiative?

There is a growing body of literature on topics relevant to the INFEWS initiative. During FY2015, NSF funded a series ofworkshops related to food and water and energy systems. Please consult the NSF award database and other bibliographicsearch engines for current information.

10. I submitted my proposal to NSF and part, or all, of my project was chosen for funding by NIFA? What will I need todo to get my award?

For proposals selected for funding by NIFA, PIs will be asked to withdraw their proposal from NSF and resubmit it to NIFA inaccordance with instructions given by the cognizant NIFA Program Officer. You will be personally contacted by this program officeand provided with detailed instructions on how to resubmit your proposal to NIFA. Your proposal will not need to compete again, asit has already been reviewed through the joint NSF/NIFA INFEWS process detailed in this solicitation. NIFA requires that allproposals be submitted through Grants.gov. Project funds will be dispersed to your institution through the Automated StandardApplications for Payment Systems (ASAP), operated by the Department of Treasury's Financial Management Service. For moreinformation see http://www.nifa.usda.gov/business/method_of_payment.html.

Post award management will be done jointly with NSF. All PI meetings will be held jointly by NSF and NIFA. All projects funded byNIFA will need to submit their project reports through the NIFA reporting system. When projects are jointly funded through NSF andNIFA, they should submit a unified annual report that is a summary of the outcomes, impacts, and progress of the entire project.Reports should be drafted by the team, but will need to be submitted to both NSF and NIFA to meet the federal grant reportingstandards of each agency. A similar report can be submitted to the reporting systems of both agencies to present a unified annualreport.

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